Sales of Boehringer Ingelheim's prescription drugs jump 12 percent in first half

Boehringer Ingelheim said Wednesday that sales of prescription medicines climbed 12 percent in the first half of the year to 6.1 billion euros ($7.2 billion), boosted by the company's diabetes portfolio and the of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treatment Ofev. Boehringer Ingelheim's overall revenue rose 27 percent to 9.2 billion euros ($10.9 billion).

The drugmaker noted that sales from its diabetes products, which it markets together with Eli Lilly, jumped 59 percent in the six-month period to 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion). Meanwhile, revenue from Ofev surged 72 percent to 429 million euros ($508.2 million).

Boehringer Ingelheim added that it continues to expect a "considerable" year-on-year increase in currency-adjusted net sales for 2017.