Bayer Schering Pharma integrated in Japan, ranking 18th on the Japanese market

Bayer Yakuhin, which started its operation as the new integrated company between Japanese subsidiaries of Bayer Healthcare and Schering AG of Germany on July 1, will strengthen its specialty products in the field of cancer, women's health care, thrombosis and hemostasis, and interferon in addition to primary care including the treatment of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, Jean-Luc Lowinski, president of the firm, announced at its first press conference since the integration.

The combined pro forma sales of the newly-merged unit in 2006 were 157.0 billion yen ($1.32 billion), ranking 18th in the Japanese prescription drug market. By therapeutic category, primary care products including Adalat (nifedipine), Glucobay (acarbose), Bayaspirin (aspirin) and Zetia (ezetimibe) accounted for 52.3% of the total, followed by diagnostic agents at 28.7%, specialty products 18.9% (expert treatments such as interferon 8.3%, thrombosis and hemostasis 6.9%, women's health care agents 2.3% and oncology drugs 1.4%).

It plans to strengthen in the cancer field by accelerating the development of Nexavar (sorafenib), which was filed with the Japanese authorities in June 2006, in addition to having launched the malignant lymphoma drug Fludara (fludarabine phosphate), developed by Nihon Schering. The latter has several anticancer agents, including Fludara IV for chronic lymphatic leukemia, Tasuomin (tamoxifen citrate), a breast cancer agent, and Mifurol (carmofur) for gastric and colorectal cancers. Also in hand are Phase III trials for Xalerto (rivaroxaban), a factor Xa inhibitor, for cerebral infarction and thrombosis.