Oliver Rozboril has been with Boehringer Ingelheim for more than 20 years. During his time with the company, he has gained management experience in several Central and Eastern European countries in positions across the sales, marketing, and project management. Since October 2022, he has been working as General Manager and Head of Human Pharma.
Your company is one of the most important biopharmaceutical companies in the world, with high innovation potential. In which areas do you create this innovative value?
At Boehringer Ingelheim, we have the ambition not only to care for the health of people and animals but also to change their lives for the better. We think about things in the long term perspective, so we focus on developing innovative treatments in the areas of unmet medical need. In 2022, we invested more than 5 billion EUR in drug research and development (R&D), which is 21% of our sales. Most recently, we have obtained marketing authorisation for products that help in the complex treatment of pulmonary fibrosis or cardio-renal-metabolic diseases such as chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and type 2 diabetes.
We also do not forget the need to invest in research and development in the Central European region, an thus increase the competitiveness of the “old” continent. The investment in production capacities in Vienna is proof of this. This is the company’s largest-ever investment of more than 700 million EUR, creating more than 500 jobs. It is a technologically advanced GMP-certified biopharmaceutical multi- product production facility launched in 2021. It will supply the entire world, including the Czech Republic, with innovative medicines.
© 2020, Peter Ginter
So, one of the areas you are focusing on is the treatment of diabetes and heart failure. What results have you achieved there?
In the Czech Republic, we have about 280,000 people with heart failure and every year, 60,000 new cases are added. Around 1 million people in the Czech Republic already have diabetes; many are overweight or have kidney disease?. Boehringer Ingelheim is actively looking for new treatments that can help patients alleviate the progression of these diseases. The treatment we are bringing to market lower blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes by inducing the increased excretion of sugar into the urine. In these patients, it also helps protect their heart and reduces the risk of kidney damage. For patients with heart failure, the treatment helps relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of hospitalisation. This results in an improvement of their quality of life.
In addition to searching for new treatment options, Boehringer Ingelheim also focuses on preventing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. We support awareness-raising events promoting healthy lifestyles and we create educational materials and websites for patients, such as our OsladToCukrovce.cz and SrdceDycha.cz websites.
© 2020, Peter Ginter
It is said that man’s best friend is the dog. How do you take care of the health of animals?
As a child I was very close to animals. Perhaps the most significant role (next to budgies, fish and guinea pigs) in my childhood was played by a dog. I dreamt of a Welsh terrier whose specific character taught me a lot. I am therefore very happy that our company includes a division that develops medicines that improve animal health. At the same time, everything is based on respect for animals, people, and the environment. It is not just about medicines for pets. We also have products for livestock. In addition to treatment itself, we also focus on prevention, because serious infections caused by parasites are a big topic in animals. They are often transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes or other insects and can have fatal consequences. Their treatment tends to be often complicated. However, preventive antiparasitic drugs, which are also part of our portfolio, can prevent the development of infection. Similarly, vaccines that help to prevent other serious complications are an inherent part of it.
Thank you for the interview.
Text: redakce
Foto: Boehringer Ingelheim, spol. s r.o.
