Ambitious program to launch innovative products addressing Turkish needs

   2008: Bayer Schering Pharma significantly exceeded market growth

   Focus on disease awareness and educational initiatives

   Commitment to significantly increase clinical-development activities in Turkey

Bayer Schering Pharma Turkey is implementing a growth strategy comprising an ambitious program to launch innovative products. While carrying out large-scale and educational public health initiatives, the company also plans to increase the number of clinical studies it conducts in Turkey.

"Emerging markets are already contributing more than 30% of today's market growth and are forecasted to grow even faster in the future. Turkey – the sixth-largest and fastest growing pharmaceutical market in Europe – is an especially promising market for us," said Markus Baltzer, Senior Vice-President of Bayer Schering Pharma, at a press conference in Istanbul. "Investing 15-17% of our total sales in research and development every year, Bayer Schering Pharma has a very rich pipeline which includes innovative products addressing unmet medical needs in Turkey."

Bayer Schering Pharma Turkey is embarking on an ambitious program to launch various innovative pharmaceuticals in the next 24 months. These include

-        a targeted oral therapy for advanced kidney and liver cancer,

-        an oral, once-daily anti-coagulant for the prevention and treatment of venous thrombosis,

-        a new class of oral contraceptives based on estradiol, the same estrogen that is produced by the female body and

-        recombinant factor VIII for treating hemophilia.

 

Disease-awareness and public-health projects to continue

"2008 was a successful year in which Bayer Schering Pharma significantly exceeded market growth. Bayer moved up to seventh place in terms of value in the Turkish healthcare market, while maintaining its position as the second-largest company in terms of volume. Output at our Topkapı pharmaceuticals plant has passed the record-breaking mark of 100 million units per annum for the first time in its history. We are leaders in many therapeutic areas and aim to grow and become even stronger," said Dr. Sebastian Guth, CEO of Bayer Group Türkiye.

Dr. Guth also underlined that Bayer Schering Pharma Turkey has been conducting projects such as the "Healthy Women for a Healthy Society" and "Men's HealthCare Truck" campaigns in cooperation with the related associations with the aim of supporting public awareness and education initiatives. The "Healthy Women for Healthy Society" project, run by Bayer Schering Pharma in cooperation with Hello Magazine and the Turkish Gynecology and Obstetrics Association, is one of the largest public-awareness initiatives undertaken in Turkey. Likewise, the Men's Healthcare Truck project, launched in cooperation with the Turkish Society of Andrology, is the first-ever targeted men's-healthcare initiative. It aims to reach 50,000 men in 50 cities across Turkey.

More clinical studies to be conducted in Turkey

Bayer Schering Pharma also announced that it would be increasing its number of clinical studies in Turkey. To date, the company has conducted or supported 19 clinical studies in Turkey involving more than 2000 patients. Several clinical studies with a total of over 1500 patients are currently running in various crucial therapeutic areas. Many clinical studies are also planned in oncology, hematology and diagnostic imaging. Bayer Schering Pharma's aim is to become one of the main drivers of clinical development in Turkey. This will give patients faster access to innovative medicines and support the exchange of expertise and knowledge with local scientists.