How We Collaborate With Patient Organisations

Boehringer Ingelheim’s core principles (Leitbild) and vision (Value through Innovation) guide our work with patient organisations. We are committed to the goal of serving humankind through research into diseases and the development of new medicines and therapies.

Our Mission

Be a trusted partner for patient organisations and those they represent in the development of innovative medicines, education and services that improve patients' lives.

Aims of Our Collaboration

We are committed to working collaboratively with patient organisations that support the needs of patients, their families and/or caregivers. This offers an opportunity for us to learn from each other in order to:

  • Understand the needs and expectations patients, their families and their caregivers have, and the challenges they face in the current therapeutic and healthcare environments
  • Include the perspectives and needs of patients, their families and caregivers in the development of our medicines, clinical trials and patient support services
  • Increase patient satisfaction with our clinical trials and medicines
  • Increase disease awareness and improve patient education
  • Support patient access to medicines and healthcare services
  • Understand and support the objectives of patient organisations throughout the course of the patient’s disease

Our Guiding Principles

We believe true collaborations with patient organisations contribute to advances in research and healthcare innovation to serve patients, their families and caregivers by improving their health and quality of life.

These collaborations reflect Boehringer Ingelheim’s core values we believe in: Respect, Trust, Empathy and Passion, and are guided by the following principles:

  • We comply with any applicable laws, regulations and industry codes regulating the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and patient organisations such as the EFPIA and FSA codices.
  • We work with patient organisations in an open, transparent and ethical manner.
  • We fully respect the views and independence of patient organisations, considering them as equal and valued partners with knowledge and experiences that Boehringer Ingelheim wishes to understand.
  • Collaborations between Boehringer Ingelheim and patient organisations are chosen on the basis of mutual goals with the aim to serve patient needs.
  • We engage with patient organisations and we are committed to establishing collaborations over the longer term.
  • We strive to provide information to patient organisations that is fully informed, accurate, easy-to-understand, and presented in a balanced way in order to help patient organisations achieve their goals.
  • We will engage with representatives of patient organisations who will serve as advisors, members of patient advisory boards, or speakers, for the purpose of supporting healthcare and research.
  • We will provide reasonable financial or non-financial support to patient organisations.
  • We encourage patient organisations to have a diverse range of funding sources and long-term strategy.
  • We encourage patient organisations to be transparent on their funding sources.
  • We do not request, expect, ask or encourage patient organisations to promote or support the usage of any specific product over another.
  • Any project collaboration with a patient organisation is based on a written agreement that clearly states the nature, purpose and duration of the activity, as well as any support (either financial or non-financial support) provided by Boehringer Ingelheim.
  • We report accurate, fair and objective information about our collaboration with patient organisations in a transparent manner.
  • We fully respect the privacy of personal data and do not expect patient organisations to provide any personal patient or family information.

Our Partners and Patient Advocacy Relations Function

Boehringer Ingelheim has been engaging with patient organisations over more than fifteen years through its global affiliates and its corporate organisation. In 2015 we created a global patient advocacy relations function to further coordinate our collaborations and activities with patient organisations.

During our project collaborations with patient organisations Boehringer Ingelheim’s Corporate Organisation (Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH) has provided financial and non-financial contributions to the following patient organisations:
 

Contributions

2014

Name of Patient Organisation Nature of support Amount
Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, Bury St. Edmunds, UK Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 728.53
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc., Chicago, USA Sponsorship of the Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable USD 50,000
Anticoagulation Europe, Bromley, UK Sponsorship GBP 19,500
Association Belge contre la Fibrose Idiopathique Pulmonaire, Brussels, Belgium Travel expenses for representatives attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 178
Associazione Morgagni per le malattie polmonari, Forlì, Italy Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 1,060.64
Association pour la fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique Pierre ENJALRAN, Ardiège, France Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 841.3
Association Asthme & Allergies, Boulogne Billancourt, France Consultancy fee and travel expenses for representative to attend patient asthma advisory board meeting in Paris GBP 1,220.11
Asthma Society of Canada, Toronto, Canada Consultancy fee and travel expenses for representative to attend patient asthma advisory board meeting in Paris GBP 4,467.88
Asthma UK, London, UK Consultancy fee and travel expenses for representative to attend patient asthma advisory board meeting in Paris GBP 1,246.21
Atrial Fibrillation Association, Shipston-on-Stour, UK Sponsorship GBP 20,000
Atrial Fibrillation Association, Shipston-on-Stour, UK Patient Voice and social media project GBP 1,113.49
Belgische Vereniging voor longfibrose, Brugge, Belgium Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 89
Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, Markham, Canada Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 4,876.57
Cittadinanzattiva, Rome, Italy Travel expenses for representative presenting at iHTA congress in Washington DC EUR 4,525.56
European Association for the Study of Diabetes, Düsseldorf, Germany Sponsorship (Global Partnership) EUR 10,000
European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Associations, Brussels, Belgium Travel expenses for representative to attend patient asthma advisory board meeting in Paris GBP 537.95
European Organisation for Rare Diseases, Paris, France Sponsorship of 10th anniversary EURORDIS Gala dinner EUR 7,500
European Organisation for Rare Diseases, Paris, France Emerald sponsorship of the EURORDIS Round Table of Companies EUR 10,000
European Patient Forum (fiduciary), Brussels, Belgium Contribution to the European Patient Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI), European Patient Forum acting as fiduciary for EUPATI EUR 80,000
Federación Nacional De Asociaciones De Enfermedades Respiratorias, Málaga, Spain Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 600.24
Global Lung Cancer Coalition, Liverpool, UK Sustaining Partner Sponsorship GBP 30,000
Hengitysliitto ry - harvinaiset hengityssairaudet, Tampere, Finland Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 1,395.01
HOF, Rishon LeZion, Israel Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 850.89
International Diabetes Federation, Brussels, Belgium Sponsorship (Global Partnership) EUR 160,000
International Diabetes Federation, Brussels, Belgium Sponsorship of the "Life for a Child" Programme EUR 15,000
International Diabetes Federation, Brussels, Belgium Consultancy and communication services on "IntroDia Initiative" EUR 130,000
Japan Allergy Tomono Kai, Tokyo, Japan Consultancy fee and travel expenses for representative to attend patient asthma advisory board meeting in Paris GBP 5,369.60
Leukämiehilfe Rhein-Main e.V. 1991, Rüsselsheim, Germany Sponsoring des Patienten und Angehörigen Forum (01.11.2014) EUR 500
Lung Cancer Europe, Bern, Switzerland Membership and sponsorship EUR 20,000
Lungenfibrose e.V., Essen, Germany Travel expenses for representatives attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 2,251.77
National Asthma Council of Australia, South Melbourne, Australia Consultancy fee and travel expenses for representative to attend patient asthma advisory board meeting in Paris GBP 6,664.24
National Psoriasis Foundation, Portland, USA Charitable donation USD 2,500
Österreichische Lungenunion, Vienna, Austria Consultancy fee and travel expenses for representative to attend patient asthma advisory board meeting in Paris GBP 1,299.07
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, Chicago, USA Travel expenses for representative attending IPF Patient Advocacy Group Workshop in Brussels EUR 1,578.9
Stroke Alliance For Europe, London, UK Sponsorship GBP 40,000
The Max Foundation, Seattle, USA Sponsorship of scientific educational program "Max Global Helpline" USD 12,000
Union for International Cancer Control, Geneva, Switzerland Sponsorship (Champions Programme Partner) USD 50,000
World Hepatitis Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland Donation of Exhibition Booth to WHA for use during the European Association for the Study of the Liver Congress Non-financial contribution

2013

Name of Patient Organisation Nature of support Amount
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc., Chicago, USA Sponsorship of the Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable USD 50,000
Anticoagulation Europe, Bromley, UK Support of A Guide to NOACs EUR 23,206
Anticoagulation Europe, Bromley, UK;
Arrythmia Alliance, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK;
Atrial Fibrillation Association, Shipston-on-Stour, UK;
StopAfib, Greenwood, USA		 Multimedia Series : A New Era in Anticoagulation EUR 11,100
Arrythmia Alliance, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Atrial Fibrillation Association, Shipston-on-Stour, UK
StopAfib, Greenwood, USA		 Honoraria for 2 TweetChats (May and August 2013) about Atrial Fibrillation EUR 3,300
Atrial Fibrillation Association, Shipston-on-Stour, UK Support of Atrial Fibrillation Association country specific websites EUR 24,160
European AIDS Treatment Group, Brussels, Belgium Support of policy and advocacy work-science and research EUR 76,000
European Cancer Patient Coalition, Brussels, Belgium Sustaining Partnership Sponsor EUR 30,000
European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Associations, Brussels, Belgium BI Corporate Sponsorship EUR 12,000
European Liver Patients Association, Sint-Truiden, Belgium Support the education and patient support efforts EUR 80,000
European Patient Forum (fiduciary), Brussels, Belgium Contribution to the European Patient Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI), for which the European Patient Forum is acting as fiduciary EUR 70,000
European Society for Medical Oncology, Lugano, Switzerland Sponsorship of the 2012 ESMO Patient Advocacy Track EUR 25,000
Forum Lungenkrebs Schweiz, Basel, Switzerland Sponsorship of the “Facing Lung Cancer” Art Exhibition at the 2012 European Lung Cancer Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. EUR 7,400
Global Lung Cancer Coalition, Liverpool, UK Sustaining Partner Sponsorship GBP 30,000
International COPD Coalition Corporate Sponsorship Grant USD 30,000
International Diabetes Federation, Brussels, Belgium Sponsorship (Global Partnership) EUR 160,000
International Diabetes Federation, Brussels, Belgium Sponsorship of the “Life for a Child” Programme EUR 20,000
Lung Foundation Australia, Milton, Australia Unrestricted educational grant to support the Australian IPF Registry. EUR 15,000
Stroke Alliance For Europe, London, UK Support of regional congresses EUR 11,825
Union for International Cancer Control, Geneva, Switzerland Sponsorship (Champions Programme Partner) USD 25,000
Women Against Lung Cancer Europe, Orbassano, Italy Sponsorship EUR 15,000
World Hepatitis Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland Support of policy and advocacy work across the Global Advocacy network EUR 150,000

Patient Organisations Contact Form