Bayer sales hit $6.2B in Asia-Pacific in 2017

Bayer Asia-Pacific officials, from left to right, Dr. Chuan-Kit Foo, head of medical affairs; Claus Zieler, senior vice-president and head of commercial operations; and Oliver Renner, head of pharmaceuticals communications and health policy, meet the media. BAYER PHOTO

SINGAPORE – Pharmaceuticals giant Bayer has reported an 8.5 percent sales increase to more than €5.0 billion ($6.2 billion) in the Asia Pacific in 2017, making it the fastest growing region in Bayer’s pharmaceutical sales globally.

Speaking to reporters here, Claus Zieler, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Operations in the Asia Pacific, said the company’s innovative products continued to contribute to its growth.

Zieler said the Asia Pacific “exceeded the growth rates of other regions,” contributing 30 percent of the division’s global sales.

“The great news is that we have continued to grow for the 7th year in a row, now almost doubling our business in the region,” he said.

He said innovative products such as the oral anticoagulant Xarelto, eye medicine Eylea, and oral cancer treatment Nexavar were the top products in the region.

He said the sales increase in the Asia Pacific market “makes the region the biggest growth driver for our Pharmaceuticals business in 2017.”

“Our innovative medicines provide solutions to the region’s major health challenges such as stroke, cancer and eye diseases related to aging and diabetes. We are heartened to see they continue to be well received by doctors and patients year after year,” he said.

The global health intelligence agency IMS 2017 data showed that Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals business continued to be one of the fastest growing among top pharmaceutical multinational companies in the region. /cbb