Boehringer Ingelheim CEO highlights Chinese innovation at Asia-Pacific Conference

Shashank Deshpande, CEO of the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, stated at the Asia-Pacific Conference in Seoul that the West no longer holds a monopoly on innovation. Speaking to the German Press Agency, Deshpande noted that high-quality scientific research is increasingly emerging from China, viewing the growing competition as a stimulus for the industry.

Deshpande emphasized the rising importance of the Asia-Pacific region for pharmaceutical innovation. Boehringer Ingelheim currently conducts over 200 clinical trials in the region, excluding China, and collaborates with approximately 160 scientific institutions. In South Korea alone, the company is managing around 50 clinical studies.

Additionally, Deshpande discussed the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in drug development. Following a strategic partnership with Microsoft announced in late October, the company aims to use AI-supported clinical trials to potentially accelerate the development of new medicines by up to 50 percent.