Bayer Schering Pharma integration ‘progressing rapidly’

Bayer has announced that the integration of Bayer Schering Pharma into the company is making speedy progress, with it being announced at the firm’s annual stockholders meeting that the pace of growth at both companies has been maintained since the start of their merger.

At Bayer Schering Pharma, growth was driven by the “substantial” increase in sales of oral contraceptives and strong growth of the Mirena intra-uterine system, while the company also saw robust sales of multiple sclerosis treatment Betaferon.

In March 2007, Bayer Schering Pharma announced the signing of an agreement with Novartis relating to the acquisition of a biologics manufacturing site.

The company reports that key decisions regarding the integration of the companies’ sites had been made at an early stage, with the corporate headquarters to be located in Berlin along with one of three global research facilities.

Werner Baumann, member of the board of management of Bayer Schering Pharma, said: “The business model for the combined pharmaceutical business is being implemented step by step.”

He added that the firm would look to maintain this pace of integration until the company is successfully incorporated into the group.

In September 2006, the chairman of Schering announced that its merger with the Bayer group would result in the establishment of an international firm with good future business prospects.