Boehringer Ingelheim Commits €451 Million to China at CIIE, Signs 'Eastern Promise' for 2021

The 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE) concluded successfully. Boehringer Ingelheim reaped substantial benefits at this year’s CIIE, not only signing and launching new collaborative projects, but also unveiling multiple new products making their “global debuts” and “China debuts,” as well as new R&D initiatives against the pandemic, thereby attracting widespread attention from all sectors.

Last year, Boehringer Ingelheim’s inaugural participation in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) yielded substantial results, allowing the company to recognize the significant business opportunities and influence brought by the event. This experience strengthened its resolve to accelerate business development in China and increase investment in the Chinese market. Reflecting on the achievements of this year’s participation, the company has gained even greater confidence in the CIIE as an efficient platform for exhibition and exchange. During the expo, Boehringer Ingelheim signed the participation agreement for the fourth CIIE.

At this year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE), Boehringer Ingelheim presented an upgraded showcase of its “Comprehensive Stroke Care Solution,” covering all aspects of stroke disease management, including prevention, screening, emergency care, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, secondary prevention, and patient education. With the integration of BIX Digital Lab, established by the company in 2020, the incorporation of more digital and intelligent technologies has further enhanced the “customization” features of this solution. Furthermore, to expand the national network of stroke training centers and promote the long-term development of stroke care across China, Boehringer Ingelheim officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Stroke Association at the CIIE and launched the first comprehensive stroke training center project in Sichuan Province.

During the exhibition, trade delegations from multiple provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, as well as industry organizations, expressed interest in and a desire to learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim’s upgraded full-course management model for stroke, particularly its innovations in stroke rehabilitation and digitalization.

The Yinwenjing® Live Classical Swine Fever Vaccine, a “Sino-German technological hybrid” tailor-made for the Chinese market, has become a standout attraction at the China International Import Expo (CIIE). Marking its global debut at this year’s CIIE, this next-generation classic swine fever vaccine, specifically developed for China’s pig farming industry, emerged as a star exhibit among the “debut” products in Hall 7.1 (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices). Upon its launch, the product immediately drew attention from mainstream domestic media, prominent animal health industry outlets, and professionals in the livestock sector.

Around the time of last year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE), Boehringer Ingelheim launched its “China Key” strategy, becoming the first multinational pharmaceutical company to fully engage Chinese sites in early-stage clinical research. Leveraging this strategy, the company initiated Phase II clinical trials in China for spesolimab, its first-in-class investigational drug for generalized pustular psoriasis, simultaneously with global trials. Vargatef® (nintedanib), whose new indication was submitted globally for the first time in a synchronized manner, was approved in China in June 2020 for interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis. This approval came only 1.5 months after its approval in the European Union.

In the field of animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim leveraged the China International Import Expo (CIIE) to showcase three future products making their “China debut” in the companion animal sector. These include the Purevax FeLV vaccine for feline leukemia, imepitoin tablets as the preferred treatment for canine epilepsy, and Aservo® EquiHaler®, the first therapy for severe equine asthma recently approved in the European Union. Notably, the inhalation device technology used in Aservo® EquiHaler® is derived from Respimat®, the company’s inhaler for human chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatments. This exemplifies Boehringer Ingelheim’s collaborative innovation across its two major business divisions: human pharmaceuticals and animal health.

Boehringer Ingelheim looks forward to leveraging the China International Import Expo (CIIE) as a platform to accelerate the introduction of more innovative drugs and indications into China, thereby benefiting more Chinese patients and animals.

In the public health and epidemic prevention section, Boehringer Ingelheim showcased its latest R&D achievements in combating the pandemic. The company announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by the novel coronavirus, offering the first potential therapy in this field. This development helps bridge a significant gap in the treatment regimen for COVID-19 patients, thereby freeing up medical resources. At the center of the booth, an oversized model of the coronavirus and antibodies vividly illustrated the research focus of the “CARE Consortium Viral Neutralizing Antibody Development Working Group,” led by Boehringer Ingelheim. These two major R&D breakthroughs emerged as the most discussed topics among media representatives and visitors at the booth.

Gao Qifei, President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Greater China, concluded by stating, “After 25 years of development in China, the country has become and will continue to be one of Boehringer Ingelheim’s most important strategic markets. We have just unveiled our vision for the next decade of growth in China. I am confident that the Chinese market will serve as the greatest driver of Boehringer Ingelheim’s global expansion. Our announcement prior to this CIIE of an additional investment of €451 million in China over the next five years fully demonstrates our ‘CIIE confidence’ and ‘commitment to China.’ Let us meet again at the 2021 CIIE.”