Download - Bayer HealthCare

Bayer HealthCare’s success story in the pharmaceuticals business began 125 years
ago. The first product marketed by the “Pharmaceutical Department” of Bayer was
the antipyretic Phenacetin in 1888. Bayer also quickly developed a reputation espe-
cially in the treatment of infectious diseases. Bayer researcher Gerhard Domagk, who
discovered the antibacterial effect of sulfonamides, was awarded the nobel Prize in
Medicine in 1939.
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals today holds a worldwide leading position in its main
therapeutic areas. The focus on specialty pharmaceuticals and the opportunities
for growth in the field of general medicine offer an outstanding basis for sustainable
expansion. The division combines its strengths in two business units: General
Medicine and Specialty Medicine.
The General Medicine Business Unit develops and markets products that are prescribed
by both general practitioners and medical specialists. Our extensive range
of products in this segment – for the control of high blood pressure, prevention of
myocardial infarction and stroke, and for diabetes management – offer doctors and
patients options in both the treatment and prevention of acute disease conditions.
The company also markets effective drug products to treat bacterial infections, such
as respiratory tract and urinary tract infections. In the field of Men’s Health, the division
offers a wide range of therapeutic options, including treatments for erectile dysfunction
and testosterone deficiency. In 2008, Bayer HealthCare launched a novel oral Factor
Xa inhibitor for the prevention of life-threatening blood clots that is taken once daily in
most indications. This product is now registered in more than 120 countries for the
prevention of thrombosis after elective hip or knee replacement surgery; further
indications have since also been added.
In the field of Women’s Healthcare, the company is currently concentrating on three
areas: contraception, menopause management and the development of gyneco-
logical treatments. Bayer is the world leader in the field of female hormonal contra-
ception, in particular in the area of oral contraception. The “pill” has been helping
women plan their families for more than 50 years.
Bayer HealthCare offers a wide range of different contraceptives to meet individual
needs, including a low-dosage contraceptive which is the first product from a new
class of oral contraceptives whose estrogen component has the same action as
estradiol, an estrogen that is produced by the female body. For women who do not
wish to take a daily contraceptive pill, the company offers long-term intrauterine
contraceptive systems with a duration of action of up to five years. The range also
includes products to relieve the symptoms associated with menopause. In the gynecological
therapy segment, Bayer HealthCare is working to develop new therapeutic
options for conditions with a high level of unmet medical need such as uterine fibroids
(myomas) and endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial cells grow outside
PHArMACEuTiCAlS DIVISIOn
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