Medical breakthrough in cancer research in Vienna
October 28, 2025|KW
Vienna is one of Europe's leading life sciences locations – and it is also home to a centerpiece of global cancer research.
The international pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim operates one of its most important research centers in the field of oncology at its Vienna site. Here, new active ingredients and drugs are developed that have the potential to prolong and improve lives worldwide.
New active ingredient against lung cancer
And Boehringer Ingelheim's cancer research center in Vienna now has a significant success to report: the development of an active ingredient for the treatment of a particularly aggressive form of lung cancer that mainly affects women and non-smokers.
Until now, this form of the disease was considered difficult to treat, but the new drug from Vienna marks a medical breakthrough and offers new hope. The drug has already been approved in the US, China, and Japan—a milestone and major success for Viennese research with international impact.
Behind this success is a team of highly qualified experts, including Birgit Wilding, who conducts research in Vienna at Boehringer Ingelheim as Associate Director in the Department of Medical Chemistry. Her work combines scientific excellence with international collaboration. Wilding emphasizes the particular strength of Vienna as a location: “Here we find ideal conditions for quickly translating scientific ideas into concrete therapeutic concepts – from basic research to clinical application.” Her research is a prime example of how Viennese expertise is driving global innovation.
“Seeing that something we developed in the lab actually improves patients' lives is incredibly fulfilling.”
Modern research integrates AI and digitalization
Boehringer Ingelheim works in multidisciplinary teams of chemists, biologists, and data scientists to develop innovative medicines for humans and animals, focusing on various therapeutic areas, including oncology.
The Vienna-based research team relies on modern methods such as AI-supported drug discovery, molecular analysis, and large-scale data evaluation. This not only allows them to identify more quickly how tumor cells function, but also how drugs can attack them precisely. The close integration of basic research and pharmaceutical technology is a key success factor.
Vienna offers ideal conditions for companies in the life sciences sector: a dense research landscape with renowned institutions such as the Vienna BioCenter, IMBA, CeMM, and the University of Vienna, excellently trained specialists, and strong networks between science and industry. This structure attracts international talent and enables collaborations that open up new avenues in biomedical research.
The economic environment is also a clear advantage: research grants, funding through organizations such as FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency) and aws (Austria Business Service) or the Vienna Business Agency, as well as specialized cluster initiatives such as LISAvienna, create a dynamic environment for innovation.
Boehringer Ingelheim continuously invests in its Vienna site, thereby contributing significantly to Vienna's positioning as a European hotspot for biomedical research—a place where science and business work hand in hand to rethink health.
“In research, we prepare our extensive data sets so that AI models can be trained to help scientists accelerate their research.”
Birgit Wilding
Boehringer Ingelheim RCV
Vienna offers ideal conditions for companies in the life sciences sector: a dense research landscape with renowned institutions such as the Vienna BioCenter, IMBA, CeMM, and the University of Vienna, highly trained specialists, and strong networks between science and industry. This structure attracts international talent and enables collaborations that open up new avenues in biomedical research.
The economic environment is also a clear advantage: research grants, funding through organizations such as FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency) and aws (Austria Wirtschaftsservice) or the Vienna Business Agency, as well as specialized cluster initiatives such as LISAvienna, create a dynamic environment for innovation.
Boehringer Ingelheim continuously invests in its Vienna site, thereby contributing significantly to Vienna's positioning as a European hotspot for biomedical research—a place where science and business work hand in hand to rethink health.
Read more about the history, successes, and expansion projects of Boehringer Ingelheim in Vienna.
Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Center Vienna
Services of the Vienna Business Agency
Funding for the new production facility by the Vienna Business Agency
Funding production