Discovering new things together
As a service to society, Boehringer Ingelheim’s research and development focuses on a variety of external partnerships.
Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)
The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, Austria is a basic biomedical research centre sponsored largely by Boehringer Ingelheim. Internationally regarded as a centre of excellence in molecular biology and genetics, the institute focuses its research on molecular and cell biology, including structural biology, disease mechanisms, and the emerging field of circuit neuroscience. It further aims to promote interdisciplinary research, bringing together expertise in optical engineering, computation, and bioengineering.
The IMP has an international reputation and cooperates closely with the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and other research institutions of the Campus Vienna Biocenter.
Read more about IMP/IMBA:
www.imp.ac.at
www.imba.oeaw.ac.at
Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB)
Boehringer Ingelheim’s pledge to support the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) at the University of Mainz, Germany, with EUR 100 million for a period of ten years represents a milestone in the history of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. The purpose of this donation, announced in 2009, is to foster an international life sciences centre of excellence for top-level research that will complement the research already conducted in Mainz. The IMB will meet international standards for cutting-edge research in terms of size and equipment available and offer top working conditions for leading researchers.
As one of the first institutions to help up-and-coming scientists in Germany to create independent research groups, the foundation also sponsors research projects in medicine, chemistry, pharmacy and biology throughout Germany.
The official opening ceremony of the IMB was conducted in March 2011. The founding director of the IMB, Professor Christof Niehrs, is one of the world's leading cell and developmental biologists.
Research at the IMB concentrates on three areas: developmental biology, epigenetics and DNA repair. The knowledge gained about these fundamental biological phenomena from basic research will provide more insight into processes such as ageing and the development of diseases like cancer. The IMB thus combines longterm basic research with its potential to be of benefit to patients.
In addition to the group of Professor Niehrs, several Junior Researcher Groups and two Senior Research Groups have already taken up their work at the IMB.
The IMB and its affiliation with the Johannes Gutenberg University aim to strengthen the international biomedical research in Mainz and, as such, to attract leading scientists as well.
Read more about IMB: www.imb-mainz.de
University of Applied Sciences in Biberach, Germany
In 2006, Boehringer Ingelheim entered into a cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences in Biberach, Germany. The bachelor of science programme “Pharmaceutical Biotechnology” is specifically focused on the development and production of biopharmaceuticals. As a public-private partnership programme, with Boehringer Ingelheim as a main industrial partner, the study programme is unique in Germany.
Biberach University held its first graduation ceremonies in 2010, with a total of 56 biotechnologists receiving their bachelor of science degrees.
Graduates can now also pursue further qualification in the field of pharmaceutical development and production. In a cooperation with Biberach University and Ulm University, a joint masters programme in pharmaceutical biotechnology was established in 2010.
Based on a good bachelor-level education in pharmaceutical biotechnology, biochemistry and biology with a focus on molecular biology, or a study course with essentially the same content, the masters study programme is orientated towards research, development and production. The academic goal of the programme, lasting four consecutive semesters, is a master of science (M.Sc.) qualification in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology which, among other things, paves the way to studying for a doctorate.
www.hochschule-biberach.de
University of Ulm, Germany
In 2011, the University of Ulm, Germany, and Boehringer Ingelheim signed a research cooperation agreement which is also being supported by the federal state government of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The research alliance is called "Boehringer Ingelheim Ulm University Biocenter" (BIU) with a funding volume of around EUR 4.5 million for an initial period of three years. Boehringer Ingelheim will contribute EUR 2.25 million and will also bring to the cooperation the experience and stability needed to accomplish multi-disciplinary projects.
The BIU is dedicated to three focus areas: neurodegenerative and cardiometabolic disease patterns as well as pulmonary diseases.
www.uni-ulm.de
Technische Universität Dresden
In 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim, Gesellschaft für Wissens- und Technologietransfer (GWT) and the Department of Medicine of the Technische Universität (TU) Dresden have signed a research collaboration agreement to develop new insights into the causes of diabetes.
As partners, Boehringer Ingelheim, GWT and the TU Dresden will work together to enhance the knowledge of the disease to ultimately enable the discovery and development of innovative therapies.
www.tu-dresden.de
Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)
The IMI is a public-private partnership established by the European Commission an the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
The IMI funds pre-competitive collaboration projects with the aim of addressing some of the fundamental scientific challenges in the search for new medicines.
It brings together large pharmaceutical companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), patient organisation, academia, hospitals and public authorities. The projects cover the entire value chain from discovery, through preclinical and clinical research, to health technology assessment and pharmacovigilance. The ultimate goal is to provide better medicines which bring value to patients, healthcare systems and society.
Thus far Boehringer Ingelheim has significantly contributed to the IMI by participating in 20 projects with an overall in-kind commitment of around EUR 19 million.
www.imi.europa.eu
Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund
The fund's goal is to enable therapeutic opportunities of tomorrow. To validate and develop emerging concepts that have potential to provide significant benefit firstly for patients and also for our business.
We are exploring new fields, in which we are investing in a few, selected biotechnology companies. The selection criteria are: the innovativeness of the scientific approach and the quality of the management.
Our investment focus is on technology platforms with a potentially broad application across various indications and therapeutic areas.
We aim at:
- Addressing the so-called "undrugable" targets, e.g. targets that are poorly amendable to either current New Chemical Entities (NCEs) or New Biological Entities (NBEs)
- Discovering the new generation of new biological entities
- Discovering the new generation of vaccines e.g. T cell vaccines
- Opening new target or biomarker space
- Entering the field of regenerative medicine