Ahead of a change in leadership at the top after the upcoming annual general meeting, in interviews with news agencies Bayer is dropping hints in dribbles about future plans for its healthcare business.
In the latest dribble, the German healthcare and agrochemicals giant told Reuters that in future its pharma pipeline will focus on cardiovascular disease, neurology, rare diseases and immunology, while de-emphasizing women’s health, a field it first focused on with the acquisition of the former women’s health specialist Schering in 2006.
Stefan Oelrich, head of the Pharmaceuticals division, said that while the Jasmin-branded oral contraceptives and the Mirena intrauterine device inherited from Schering will take a back seat in the company’s future corporate drugs strategy, Bayer is still committed to clinical-stage products, including elinzanetant to treat vasomotor symptoms during menopause. Here it projects peak sales of more than €1 billion.
The pharma chief pointed to recent acquisitions that will position Bayer to become a major player in cell and gene therapy.
In the nearly 20 years it has owned Schering franchise – which also had a significant position in oncology – Oelrich acknowledged that Bayer’s own research into therapeutics for women has not met expectations.
At the time, Schering was Bayer’s largest-ever acquisition. The then-integrated pharmaceuticals and chemicals group, at the urging of the Berlin-based pharma’s management, rode up from Leverkusen to the nation’s capital as a “white knight” to snatch the company from the jaws of Germany’s Merck, which was attempting a hostile takeover with a view to widening its own women’s health franchise.
As yet, Bayer has given no indication that it may seek to unload the franchise.
By: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist
Source: chemanager-online.com
Giovanni Caforio, the former CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, is set to become the next board chairman of Novartis, which on Tuesday proposed the pharmaceutical industry veteran as its pick to replace Joerg Reinhardt in the role next year. Reinhardt has served as Novartis’ chair since 2013 and plans to retire when his 12-year term ends in 2025.
GE HealthCare has raised the curtain on two ultrasound systems equipped with artificial intelligence programs designed to assist in diagnosing conditions in women’s health, including obstetric exams. The Voluson Signature 20 and 18 imaging systems include AI tools capable of automatically identifying and annotating measurements of fetal anatomy.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Chemistry have revealed a new sustainable method of manufacturing complex molecules that could reduce waste produced during drug production. The method published in Nature Chemistry could help to prevent severe side effects caused by drugs that can exist as enantiomers.
