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1965 - 1991: Changing Times
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Hubertus Liebrecht |
Following the deaths of Ernst and Albert Boehringer, Julius
Liebrecht became Chairman of the Board in 1965. His son, Hubertus
Liebrecht, was appointed to the Board in 1967 and became its
Chairman in 1971. Dr Wilhelm Boehringer, son of Albert, also joined
the Board in 1967 and was responsible for the Production and
Engineering division, until his untimely death at the age of 44 in
1975.
From the 1950s up to the late 1980s, Boehringer Ingelheim enjoyed
decades of untroubled growth, enabling the corporation to allow its
overseas subsidiaries virtual autonomy; a philosophy which brought
mutual rewards.
In that period, several important and innovative products were
launched by Boehringer Ingelheim, principally the respiratory agents
Alupent® (1961), Bisolvon®
(1963), and Berotec® (1972),
culminating in the launch of the bronchodilator Atrovent®
now used mainly in the treatment of bronchospasm associated with
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Mucosolvan® (1979) is used as a
mucolytic and expectorant.
Alveofact® (1990) containing
pulmonary surfactant is used in the treatment of Respiratory
Distress Syndrome in premature infants.
The spasmolytic agent, Buscopan®,
was developed from the alkaloid scopolamine.
In the cardiovascular field, 1966 saw the launch of Catapres®,
a centrally acting, anti-hypertensive drug showing a novel mode of
action, closely followed by Mexitil®,
an anti-arrhythmic drug in ventricular arrhythmias.
1977 was marked by the launch of Asasantin®
- an anti-thrombotic drug, combining the effects of Persantin®
and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).
However, during the latter half of the 1980s, the world of
healthcare abruptly changed. The relentless rise in costs and health
budgets brought a realisation to every country that healthcare
provision had to be made more competitive and that spending on
pharmaceutical products had to be made more selective and efficient.
Following the death of Hubertus Liebrecht, Chairman and CEO, in
1991 a new management structure was created to meet the needs of the
changing business environment.
A Board of Managing Directors with Dr Heribert Johann as its
Chairman was appointed, assuming responsibility for overall running
of the corporation, while ultimate control remained with the
Shareholders' Committee, representing the descendants of the founder.
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