Bayer HealthCare achieves sales growth in first quarter of 2013

Bayer HealthCare was one of the key drivers of year-on-year growth for the Bayer group during the first quarter of 2013, according to the company's latest financial report.

The group's sales total for the quarter came to 10.27 billion euros (8.7 billion pounds), up by 2.1 percent on Q1 2012, with healthcare division sales advancing by 2.3 percent to 4.44 billion euros.

Strong demand for new pharmaceutical products Xarelto, Eylea and Stivarga played a major role in this improvement, with the firm's consumer care unit and emerging market operations also contributing strongly.

These trends meant the company was able to confirm its 2013 full-year sales target of 41 billion euros, which would represent an annual increase of around four to five percent.

Management board chairman Dr Marijn Dekkers said: "We continue to see attractive perspectives for 2013 overall. We confirm our outlook for the Bayer Group."

This comes in a year in which Bayer marks the 150th anniversary of its founding, an occasion that will be commemorated by a number of celebratory activities around the world.