The Bayer Group once again considerably improved its sales and earnings in 2007, and also exceeded its performance targets. "2007 was Bayer's most successful year to date," said Management Board Chairman Werner Wenning on Thursday at the Spring Financial News Conference in Leverkusen. Sales gained 11.8 percent to EUR 32,385 million (2006: EUR 28,956 million) - bearing in mind that in the previous year the acquired business of Schering AG, Berlin, Germany, was only included on a pro-rated basis from June 23, 2006. Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, Group sales rose by 6.1 percent, with all three subgroups contributing to the increase.
"Our operating performance exceeded both the previous yearâs record levels and the earnings targets we had set for 2007," Wenning continued. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and before special items advanced by 21.4 percent to EUR 6,777 million (2006: EUR 5,584 million). The underlying EBITDA margin was 20.9 percent (2006: 19.3 percent). The operating result (EBIT) before special items climbed by 23.2 percent to EUR 4,287 million (2006: EUR 3,479 million).
Bayer HealthCare boosts sales and earnings
Bayer HealthCare achieved the strongest growth among the three subgroups in 2007. Its sales rose by 26.3 percent year on year to EUR 14,807 million (2006: EUR 11,724 million). The 2007 figure includes the acquired Schering business on a full-year basis for the first time. Currency- and portfolio-adjusted sales of the subgroup rose by 7.3 percent. This increase was due to the positive sales performance of both the Pharmaceuticals and the Consumer Health segments. "As expected, Pharmaceuticals expanded in line with the market, while in Consumer Health all divisions actually grew
faster than the market," the Bayer Chairman explained.
Sales of the Pharmaceuticals segment climbed by 37.3 percent to EUR 10,267 million. Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, business expanded by 5.7 percent. The oral contraceptives Yasmin®, YAZ® and Yasminelle® saw currency-adjusted sales climb by 37 percent pro forma in 2007, with sales of this product family passing the EUR 1 billion mark. Sales of the multiple sclerosis treatment Betaferon® also exceeded EUR 1 billion for the first time, with currency-adjusted business up 7 percent pro forma. Sales of the intra-uterine spiral Mirena® expanded by 25 percent (pro forma and currency-adjusted) to EUR 361 million, due especially to strong growth in the United States. "Our cancer drug Nexavar® developed particularly well," Wenning reported. "Sales of this product more than doubled in only the second year after its introduction, to EUR 270 million."
In the Consumer Health segment, sales came in at EUR 4,540 million (2006: EUR 4,246 million), with growth amounting to 10.3 percent on a currency- and portfolio-adjusted basis. Seven of this segment's ten best-selling products posted double-digit sales growth. Among the top products of the Consumer Care Division, the strongest currency-adjusted gains were registered by the Berocca® vitamin tablet with 17 percent, the antifungal Canesten® with 15 percent, the analgesic Aleve® with 14 percent, and the One-A-Day® line of vitamin products, also with a 14 percent increase. Sales of the Diabetes Care Division grew by a particularly strong 18 percent, thanks mainly to the outstanding performance of the Ascensia® Contour® blood glucose monitoring system. On a currency-adjusted basis, the Ascensia® product family expanded by 24 percent.
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About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the worldâs leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma AG.
Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Find more information at http://www.bayerhealthcare.com.