MANHATTAN — Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading provider of animal health products, and Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine have announced a strategic collaboration that will support a strong pipeline of highly skilled veterinarians and continued innovation in the heart of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, according to a media release from the university.
Boehringer Ingelheim's U.S. Animal Health business will donate $800,000 over the next five years to the KSU Foundation. The funds will support interaction and collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and veterinary students at one of the leading animal health schools in the country, K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine.
The collaboration will create opportunities for Boehringer Ingelheim employees to train and present to students, and allow for additional professional development and learning initiatives between Boehringer Ingelheim and the university. As part of the strategic collaboration, K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine built a new auditorium named the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Auditorium that was completed in August 2020. The building is now open to students for fall 2020 classes.
"The Kansas City Animal Health Corridor and Boehringer Ingelheim share a history dating back more than 100 years," said Randolph Legg, head of the U.S. commercial business for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. "The collaboration with Kansas State University furthers our commitment to this community, where so many of our dedicated employees live and work, and to the future of veterinary medicine.
"It is critically important that we help veterinary students prepare for the changing and growing role vets play in everything from caring for the animals we cherish, to food safety, public health and protecting the environment," Legg said. "This collaboration will make a meaningful contribution to ensuring no animal suffers from a preventable disease."
The auditorium is a premier space for student lectures, seminars and campuswide events, as well as for national meetings for groups such as the student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Pre-Vet Symposium. Boehringer Ingelheim will host training sessions, symposiums and events in the auditorium, which will expose students to emerging trends in animal health as well as potential career opportunities.
"Boehringer Ingelheim's belief in preventative care aligns with our commitment to advancing the health of animals through education and research," said Bonnie Rush, dean of College of Veterinary Medicine. "We're thrilled to work with Boehringer Ingelheim to expand our education programs and engagement with the community."
Boehringer Ingelheim's largest global animal health manufacturing site is not far from Kansas State University, in nearby St. Joseph, Missouri, where the company employs nearly 1,000 people. The site makes more than 1 billion doses of vaccine a year for livestock producers in the U.S. and 44 other counties. Boehringer Ingelheim has operated the site in St. Joseph for more than 100 years and has recently invested nearly $50 million to increase manufacturing capacity there.
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is the second-largest animal health business in the world, with net sales of $4.5 billion — or 4 billion euros — in 2019 and a presence in more than 150 countries. It has a significant presence in the U.S., with more than 3,100 employees in places that include Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey and Puerto Rico.
Making new and better medicines for humans and animals is at the heart of what Boehringer Ingelheim does. Its mission is to create breakthrough therapies that change lives. Since its founding in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim has been independent and family-owned and has the freedom to pursue its long-term vision, looking ahead to identify the health challenges of the future and targeting those areas of need where it can do the most good. As a world-leading, research-driven pharmaceutical company, more than 51,000 employees create value through innovation daily for our three business areas: Human Pharma, Animal Health and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing.
K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine is committed to a professional degree program with broad training opportunities across a comprehensive range of companion and exotic animals, and livestock species. Its focus is on initiatives that address important societal needs at a local, national and global level. K-State in the animal corridor and is dedicated to the advancement of health and welfare of animals, people, the environment, and the veterinary profession through excellence in teaching, research, service and outreach.