Bayer HealthCare reorganises leadership structure

Bayer HealthCare has announced a series of changes to the organisational structure of its pharmaceutical business.

The unit, which was formerly known as Bayer Schering Pharma, has been rebranded under the name Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and will be led by Andreas Fibig from the firm's Berlin headquarters.

In addition, head of pharmaceutical research for global drug discovery Professor Andreas Busch is to begin reporting directly to chairman Dr Jorg Reinhardt from March 2011, as will Dr Kemal Malik, head of global pharmaceutical development.

These changes come as part of a series of company-wide consolidation and streamlining initiatives designed to promote long-term growth.

Dr Reinhardt said: "This will enable us to sustainably finance our investment in growth and innovation, for example in new pharma products such as … Xarelto or VEGF Trap-Eye."

This comes after Bayer HealthCare commenced a new phase III study testing VEGF Trap-Eye as a treatment for choroidal neovascularisation of the retina earlier this month.