The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7309 p106
24 July 2004

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Bayer AG (www.bayer.com)

Bayer to buy Roche OTCs

Bayer AG has agreed to buy Roche Consumer Health, including five manufacturing sites, from Roche for €2.38bn. The deal, which is subject to approval by relevant competition authorities, will make Bayer the third largest OTC company in the world with annual sales of €2.4bn.

Products that Bayer will gain from the deal include Rennie, Redoxon and Berocca.

Roche chairman Franz Humer said: “With the sale of Roche Consumer Health we are proceeding with our long-term strategy of focusing on our two research-driven high margin businesses of diagnostics and prescription pharmaceuticals.”

Werner Wenning, chairman of Bayer’s management board, said: “It is our intention to further strengthen Bayer’s OTC business to become world leader.”