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Data Privacy Statement

This privacy statement of Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (hereafter "Boehringer Ingelheim") describes what personal data are collected by this website and how these data are processed. The nature, extent and purpose of the collection and processing of personal data depend on the actions of the user during the visit of this website.

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1. Use of Data and Legal Basis

1.1 Contact form or other requests

We process your data in order to provide you with the agreed or requested services on this website, in particular

  • if you send us inquiries about products or possible adverse event.

The legal basis is Article 6 (1) b) GDPR. If you send information about possible adverse events the legal basis is Article 6 (1) c) GDPR (see section 3 for specific information about adverse events).

1.2 Log data

When using the website, certain data, including data sent by the browser (e.g. IP address, kind of Cookies, previous website, time and date, displayed contents) is temporarily stored. We use this data to enable you to use our website and, if necessary, to review and assert our and third-party rights in the event of damage or violations of legal regulations, our terms of use and the rights of third-parties. The legal basis is Article 6 (1) b) GDPR. The log files will be stored for as long as necessary for the respective purpose, in principle no longer than 14 days.

1.3 Cookies and similar Technologies

We use Cookies (small text files placed on your browser) and similar Technologies such as pixel tags, web beacons and clear GIFs (added to the web site), all together hereinafter referred to as “Cookies”. 

1.3.1 Essential Cookies

Essential Cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. Such Cookies make a website usable by providing basic functions such as page navigation and access to secure areas of the website or language settings. Due to their importance for the website's functioning, you cannot opt-out from this kind of Cookies. We base the related processing of personal data on Art. 6 (1) b GDPR, the contractual provision of our services.   

Essential Cookies we use to provide this website include Cookies, which

  • detect whether a user uses Java Script, 

  • allow a visitor to receive site content from one out of multiple servers as the user browses the site,

  • determine whether a user has accepted which category in the Cookie banner,

  • maintain the status of the user for all page requests.

Target Group: This is a special cookie to define the visibility of specific content to specific groups of users (i.e. HCPs, patients or journalists) when they want to see a different ‘version’ of the website. This specifies which audience should be able to see which content in the website. For instance, if a content contains specific scientific information, which should not be visible to the public, tagging it to be viewed by a healthcare professional audience will mean this content will only be visible to those who have identified themselves as healthcare professional.

The lifetime of essential Cookies we use extends from the respective session up to one year. 

1.3.2 Cookies for Website Optimization

Based on your consent (Art. 6 (1) a GDPR) we use Cookies to make our websites work more efficiently, as well as to recognize your device on subsequent visits to get information and statistics on your usage. You may withdraw your consent at any time without detriment and with future effect. To do so, please amend your settings by activating the following icon which you can find at the bottom of your screen:

We use the following services of third-party providers: 

Adobe Analytics (Omniture) 

If and as long as you consent, we use Cookies from Adobe Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited (“Adobe”). Adobe Analytics uses Cookies on behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim to analyse all traffic and usage patterns. The Cookies' lifetime extends from the respective session up to three years. The IP address collected by the Cookies is made anonymous before it is geolocated. In addition, it is replaced by a generic IP address. Adobe will not associate your IP address with other information held by Adobe. You can prevent Adobe from collecting and using information (Cookies and IP address) by using your options at https://www.adobe.com/privacy/opt-out.html (link is external) or changing your settings here.   

The analyses help us to improve our services.  

The Cookies related to this service allow us for example to 

  • Create a unique ID for users and enabling us to track visitors across our different domains,

  • Determine, if Cookies are enabled,

  • Captures statistics about the user's visits to the website,

  • Identify the time (in days) between two visits by the same visitor,

  • Learn about the number of visits by a single user.

1.3.3 Marketing Cookies

We use Marketing Cookies which allow us to follow users to other websites to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user. We base this processing on your consent (Art. 6 (1) a GDPR), which you may withdraw at any time with future effect and without detriment amending your settings under this link.  

We use the following services of third-party providers:  

Facebook & Instagram (Facebook Pixel):  

If you consent, we activate a pixel from Facebook Ireland when you visit our website. (Facebook Ireland Ltd., 5-7 Hannover Quay 2 Dublin, Ireland).

The pixel reports to Facebook Ireland which actions you have performed on our website as well as data by which you may be identified by Facebook Ireland (including information regarding app/browser, language setting, time, IP address, advertising ID).

This data allows Facebook Ireland to see that you visited our website, your clicks on our website or if you clicked on a link on Facebook or Instagram that connects you to our website. This allows Facebook to show you interest-based ads on Facebook, Instagram or other websites. Facebook may link this data to your user account and use it for its own purposes. For information how Facebook Ireland processes your data please check https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.

We do not receive any data about you or other users of Facebook Ireland, but only statistics that show us, aggregated for all users and only for a certain time period, how they interacted with our offers and ads on other platforms of Facebook Ireland (Facebook, Instagram). This helps us to determine which of our ads were successful and which ones were not.

Twitter (Conversion Tag):

If you consent, we activate a Twitter tag when you visit our website (Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street Dublin 2, D02 AX07 Ireland). 

The tag reports to Twitter what actions you have taken on our website as well as data by which you may be identified.

This data allows Twitter to see that you have visited our website, what you have clicked on and if you clicked on a link on Twitter that connects you to our website. This allows Twitter to show you interest-based content. Twitter can link this data to your user account and use it for its own purposes. For information how Twitter processes your data please check https://twitter.com/de/privacy.

We do not receive any data about you or other Twitter users, but only statistics that show us, aggregated for all users for a certain time period, how they interacted with our offers and ads on other platforms of Twitter. This helps us to determine which of our ads were successful and which ones were not.

LinkedIn (Insight-Tag):

If you consent, we activate a LinkedIn Cookie when you visit our website (LinkedIn Ireland, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland).

The tag reports to LinkedIn what actions you have taken on our site as well as data by which you may be identified.

With the data LinkedIn can see that you have visited our website, what you have clicked on and if you clicked on a link on LinkedIn that connects you to our website. This allows LinkedIn to show you interest-based content. LinkedIn can link this data to your user account and use it for its own purposes. For information how LinkedIn processes your data please check https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

We do not receive any data about you or other LinkedIn users, but only statistics that show us, aggregated for all users for a certain time period, how they used our offers and ads on other platforms of LinkedIn. This helps us to determine which of our ads were successful and which ones were not.

Shariff solution for social media platforms:

We have included buttons from various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest) on our website. When you click on one of the buttons you will be forwarded to our company page on the respective platform. To protect your privacy, we have integrated the so-called Shariff solution: Only if you click on the button of one of the social media provider (e.g. Facebook) on our website your browser establishes a direct connection to the servers of the respective provider, which may be located in the USA. If you are logged into your user account with the respective provider, your profile data may be supplemented by information gained about your use of our content. The respective provider is responsible for the processing of your personal data. Further information on the processing of personal data can be found on the website of the respective provider.

1.3.4 Adobe DTM (website statistics)

We use the services of Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited ("Adobe") to compile general statistics on the use of our website, to understand user behaviour in general and to improve our website if necessary (legal basis is Art. 6 (1) f) DSGVO). No data will be collected from your end device and no data will be stored with which you will be recognised on subsequent visits. 

1.4 Further purposes for which we process your personal data

We process your personal data to:

  • live existing and new business relationships and we will retain the personal data for the time of this business relationship. During the business relationship, we may use contact details and information regarding professional qualification (publication etc.). Some of the information is being collected via publicly available sources and internet sites. The legal basis for the processing of this data is Art. 6 (1) b) and f) of the GDPR.

  • meet our legitimate interests, including to:

    (i) complete a corporate transaction (e.g., corporate restructuring, sale or assignment of assets, merger); and

    (ii) protect our rights or property, enforce our terms of use and legal notices, and for the establishment, exercise and defence of legal claims.

  • meet our legal obligations, any court order or other binding decision.

2. Data Transfer

We may share personal information with third-parties.

2.1 Reporting obligations to regulatory authorities and enforcement of rights 

We may share personal data in pharmacovigilance cases as specified in Section 3.   

In order to comply with legal reporting obligations, to protect our rights and/or the rights of third-parties, we may share and disclose personal data to rights holders, consultants, courts and competent authorities in accordance with legal provisions (e.g., mandatory reports in respect of a suspected adverse event).

2.2 Service provider 

We engage service providers to process your personal data for the purposes described in this data protection information. These service providers process the data only on our behalf, in accordance with our instructions and under our control in accordance with this data privacy declaration.  

One of these service providers is Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited, 4-6 River-walk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland, providing data and web analytics services. 

2.3 Boehringer Ingelheim companies

As part of a global group of companies, we involve other Boehringer Ingelheim companies that support us in data processing. These group companies process the data exclusively for the purposes stated in this data protection declaration.

2.4 Data transfer to recipients outside the EU

Some of these service providers and Boehringer companies process personal data outside the EU. In these cases, we ensure an adequate level of data protection to comply with European law (usually through EU standard contractual clauses published by the European Commission or, if necessary, other appropriate safeguards).

3. Specific Privacy Notice for Pharmacovigilance

As a pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim is required to carry out certain activities related to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other medicine related problem, also known as pharmacovigilance obligations. The pharmacovigilance obligations require us to process certain information, which may allow us to directly or indirectly identify a person, i.e. the patient and/or the reporter of the adverse event (personal data).

We may need to process following personal data:

About the reporter:

  • Full name, initials and contact details (which may include your address, e-mail address and phone number), profession (e.g., physician, pharmacist).

About the patient (subject of the report):

  • Initials (as provided) never the patient’s name; gender; age / date of birth / age group;

  • Details related to the Boehringer Ingelheim product suspected to cause the reaction, such as administration information, batch number;

  • Further details related to the adverse event: What did exactly happen?; course and outcome of the adverse event, start and end date, first-time user?, information on concomitant medications and/or diseases; seriousness of the event; view of patient and/or reporter on possible causal relationship between Boehringer Ingelheim product and adverse event;

The contact information is requested to enable us to follow-up with the reporter to gain high quality and complete information on adverse events. If the reporter does not wish to provide his contact details to Boehringer Ingelheim or authorities, the reporter can enter “Privacy” in reporter's names field. 

We may process your personal data to: (i) analyze the reported adverse event; (ii) contact the reporter for further information; (iii) collate and analyze the information about the adverse event with information about other adverse events received by Boehringer Ingelheim worldwide through our global pharmacovigilance database which is operated by Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH; and (iv) report pharmacovigilance relevant information to health authorities worldwide.

We may share pharmacovigilance related information which may include personal data also with other pharmaceutical companies who are co-marketing, co-distribution, or other license partners of a Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies, where pharmacovigilance obligations for a Boehringer Ingelheim product require such exchange of safety information; these companies process the data only on our behalf, according to our instructions, under our control and in accordance with this notice.

Reported personal data will be used solely for these purposes. Legal basis for processing pharmacovigilance relevant personal data, including special categories of personal data, is Art. 6 (1) c), and for transfers outside the EU Art. 6 (1) f) and Art. 49 (1) e) GDPR.

We are legally obliged to archive pharmacovigilance related information which may include your personal data for the time period of the market authorization plus at least further ten (10) years after the marketing authorization has expired in any country where the relevant Boehringer Ingelheim product was placed on the market.

4. Retention Periods

Boehringer Ingelheim processes your personal data for as long as necessary for the purpose of the processing, which mainly is the provision of our services requested by you.

In some cases we are obliged to keep data to comply with statutory retention periods (e.g. in the context of pharmacovigilance). In such a case, we will ensure that your data will only be used to comply with the retention obligations and not for other purposes.

5. Your Rights

You can request information about your stored personal data. If you have provided personal data based on a contract or consent, you have the right to receive this data in a commonly used and machine-readable format.

In addition, you can also request the deletion, rectification or restriction of the processing of your data in certain cases.

You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.  

If your personal data is transferred to a country outside the EU that does not provide an adequate level of data protection, you can request a copy of the contract that ensures the adequate level of protection.

Right to object: To the extent we base the processing on our legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) f) GDPR), you may object to such processing at any time. In this case, we will not process such personal data any longer unless our interests prevail. You can object to the use of data for direct marketing purposes at any time. You may also object to the processing of your personal data for the transfer to authorities outside the EU described above in Section 3 for pharmacovigilance cases unless the interests of Boehringer Ingelheim prevail.  

Please send your request or any question you have in relation to our processing of your personal data to:  

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

– Data Protection Officer –

Binger Strasse 173

D-55216 Ingelheim am Rhein

Germany

E-mail: datenschutz@boehringer-ingelheim.com  

If you still have concerns or in other cases, you have a right to lodge a complaint to the supervisory authority for privacy in your country or responsible for BI:  

Der Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit Rheinland-Pfalz, Hintere Bleiche 34, 55116 Mainz, poststelle@datenschutz.rlp.de