Bayer shares: Bayer boss Anderson admits deficit in pharmaceutical research

“We had a few years of under-investment until around 2018,” said the head of the DAX group in an interview with the “Financial Times” (“FT”/Sonntag). Bayer did not research any new molecules during that time and did not pursue the really important goals. The result is that the pipeline of well-developed drugs is thin compared to the expiring patents in the coming years. He couldn’t correct what didn’t happen eight or ten years ago.

At the beginning of last week, the sudden termination of an important study with the anticoagulant Asundexian shocked the group’s investors, causing the shares to fall by 18 percent in one day. Asundexian was seen as Leverkusen’s blockbuster hope with expected peak sales of more than five billion euros annually. At least in the important indication of treating patients with atrial fibrillation and a risk of stroke, this will probably no longer happen because Asundexian could not hold its own against standard treatment in the discontinued study.

Anderson sees research and development in the group on track after readjusting the strategy five years ago. With the new development strategy, the group will overcome the current difficulties over time. “This is a business with life cycles of ten to fifteen years,” the manager said. “Two of the companies that had the lowest research and development spending a decade ago were Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk,” he said. Both are currently enjoying great success with their medications for diabetes and weight loss. “These are two of the most valuable pharmaceutical companies in the world today,” Anderson said.

/men

LONDON/LEVERKUSEN (dpa-AFX)

Selected leverage products on Bayer

With knock-outs, speculative investors can participate disproportionately in price movements. Simply select the lever you want and we will show you suitable open-end products on Bayer

The leverage must be between 2 and 20

Advertising