Bayer HealthCare highlights renewed research and development focus

Bayer HealthCare has highlighted the recent research and development progress it has made during its Perspective on Innovation 2014 press forum in Leverkusen.

In 2014, the Bayer group spent 3.2 billion euros (2.52 billion pounds) on research and development projects, with 70 percent accounted for by the healthcare division and the remainder on the crop science business.

It has a total of 57 projects in its current pharmaceuticals pipeline, including 20 in phase I testing, 19 in phase II and 18 in phase III. Among these projects are  five promising active ingredient candidates, which should be ready for a decision on advancement to phase III by 2015.

Across 2013, the company applied for nearly 500 patents in the field of life sciences, with its ratio of research and development investment to sales continually rising.

Management board chairman Dr Marijn Dekkers said: "Our processes begin in the lab and the benefits end up with the customer. We enable doctors to help patients, we enable farmers to help feed the world, we enable veterinarians to help animals."

During the third quarter of 2014, Bayer generated a sales figure of 10.19 billion euros, up by 5.6 percent year over year, with the healthcare division contributing 4.96 billion euros to this total.