Famous German pharmaceutical company Bayer has been providing consumers with essential medicines from various branches of medicine for a century and a half. The corporation's specialists are the inventors of many pharmacological substances, the most significant and famous of which today are aspirin and heroin.
Brand history
In 1863, Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott founded the pharmaceutical company Bayer AG in the city of Barmen. Almost immediately, the company's pharmacists learned how to produce acetylsalicylic acid, which had previously been discovered only in 1852 by the chemist Charles Gerard. This substance was a modification of salicyl extracted from willow bark. In 1899, Aspirin was acetylsalicylic acid, which was sold worldwide by Bayer under a registered brand.
However, during the First World War, the United States confiscated assets and trade marks"Bayer", so "Aspirin" lost its trademark status in this country, Britain and France. In these countries, to this day, various acetylsalicylic acid preparations are produced under “Aspirin” under numerous brand names. In other countries, including Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Germany and many others, Aspirin is still considered a patented drug from the Bayer brand.
In 1904, the brand acquired its worldwide famous logo in the shape of a cross formed by crossing the company name in the letter “Y”. From 1958 to the present day, near the Bayer headquarters there has been the world's largest illuminated advertisement - the Bayer cross. Because Bayer did not have the right to put this logo on aspirin packaging, they decided to put it directly on the tablets so that consumers could remember the brand that produced the drug.
During the First World War, the rights to the brand name, as well as other assets of the corporation, were transferred to the United States, Canada and other countries, which led to the reassignment of these assets in different countries to the Sterling Drug (Sterling Winthrop) corporations. In Germany, Bayer became part of the German pharmaceutical conglomerate IG Farben, which later became the financial support of the entire Nazi regime. This conglomerate owned 42.5% of the shares of Bayer, which at that time produced Zyklon B, a substance actively used in the gas chambers of German death camps. Throughout the Second World War, the corporation used prison labor in its activities, especially for this purpose, people who were held captive in the Mauthausen camps were often used. Bayer often used concentration camp prisoners to conduct various chemical experiments, many of which ended in death. For example, Jewish women were the first experimental subjects for the use of previously unknown hormonal drugs.
After the Allied victory in World War II for Nazi crimes, the IG Farben corporation was divided and Bayer once again became an independent corporation. Its then director was sentenced to 7 years for collaborating with the Nazis, which did not prevent him from leading the company again after his release in 1956. Already in 1978, Bayer acquired the Miles Laboratories corporation along with its controlled Cutter Laboratories and Miles Canada, along with their product lines. In 1994, the acquired Sterling Winthrop dealer network was merged with Miles Laboratories, allowing Bayer to regain ownership of its logo in the United States and Canada. In Canada, Bayer also managed to recapture the Aspirin brand. In 2010, Bayer bought Auckland veterinary company Bomac Group for a currently undisclosed sum of money.
Throughout the history of the Bayer brand, many significant pharmacological substances have been discovered, among which it is worth mentioning:
- aspirin, which is an analgesic, anticoagulant and antipyretic;
- heroin, discovered by Bayer as a cough suppressant, but in fact today it is a powerful drug;
- Prontosil is the first sulfonamide identified;
- Levitra is a drug that can overcome erectile dysfunction;
- ciprofloxacin is an antibacterial drug aimed at combating anthrax and urinary tract infections;
- polycarbonate – the substance from which plastic products are made;
- polyurethane is a polymer with a wide range of applications.
Company assortment
A wide range of products from Bayer forms many world-famous brands that are part of the above-mentioned corporation. The corporation's products help solve some modern problems on the highest level. The growing aging population around the world requires improvements in global health and food security. Bayer is committed to facilitating the treatment of many diseases by providing quality medicines and food products to people and animals around the world. Bayer product actives influence biochemical processes in the body of living people and animals. Active ingredients promote positive molecular processes or make negative ones impossible.
IN modern world Bayer has several main areas of activity, each of which is dominated by one or another of the company's products. For example, the Pharmaceuticals division produces pharmaceuticals for cardiological and gynecological purposes, special products for the oncological, hematological and ophthalmological spectrum, radiological products necessary for X-ray surgery, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The products of another division - Consumer Health - are over-the-counter drugs (Claritin, Aspirin, Bepanten and others):
- dermatological;
- painkillers;
- antihistamines;
- colds;
- dietary supplements;
- agents for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract;
- vitamin complexes for children and adults;
- sunscreens;
- drugs that prevent cardiovascular pathology.
Bayer's Crop Science division focuses on the production of high-quality seeds, innovative crop protection products, a program for customers to build modern agriculture, and products for controlling agricultural pests. Products for domestic and farm animals are represented by the Animal Health division of the corporation.
Production capacity
The geography of Bayer Corporation's enterprises is scattered throughout the world. Its headquarters are located in Germany, France, Canada and the USA; Makrolon production is located in Belgium, as well as polyurethane production in Antwerp. There are 5 drug production factories in Italy, and 8 such factories in the Netherlands, including subsidiaries. Marketing and sales, research and production departments are also headquartered in the Netherlands. The Philippines is responsible for the production of baygon, autan and canesten.
Bayer AG today includes 3 groups of subsidiaries and 3 service companies, managed by one holding corporation without interaction with each other:
- CropScience;
- HealthCare;
- Material Science;
- Business Services;
- Technology Services;
- Currenta.
Bayer CropScience is engaged in the production of crop protection products and control of non-agricultural pests, and the selection of various plant seeds. Today, this company is a global market leader in innovation in the agricultural sector, as well as genetic engineering of food. CropScience is currently working with Daimler AG and Archer Daniels Midland Company to develop biofuels based on jatropha.
Bayer HealthCare is a subsidiary of Bayer responsible for pharmaceutical production. This company researches, develops, produces and distributes products to maintain and improve health. It is this company that represents the above-mentioned pharmacological divisions that produce drugs and preparations of one kind or another.
Bayer Material Science is a company that supplies high-tech polymers and develops solutions for everyday consumer problems. Bayer Business Services maintains the information infrastructure and deals with technical support Bayer divisions in North America. Bayer Technology Services designs and builds the corporation's factories. Currenta supplies raw materials for chemical industry, disposes of its waste, maintains the infrastructure, is responsible for its safety and professional education employees in this industry.
Quality control
The international pharmaceutical corporation Bayer pursues the fulfillment of high standards quality of manufactured products. The Russian division of Bayer operates using a quality management system, making access to production open to everyone supervisory authorities, auditors and other structures that monitor the proper performance of the quality of products manufactured and sold by the company.
Since Bayer does not have its own production facilities in Russia, it uses contract manufacturing opportunities at certified domestic factories, such as pharmaceutical plant Medsintez, FGBU ARRIAH, pharmaceutical plant NTFF Polisan. These enterprises operate according to approved Russian legislation quality standards for pharmaceutical products, which is additionally verified by a special audit from the Bayer holding.
The quality of manufactured products is determined by their compliance with the requirements that were initially put forward for them by state legislation and internal regulatory documents Bayer. All series medicines are checked in multi-stages during production, and then when importing them into Russia through certification and declaration. The corporation has no problems in communicating with the end consumer, since its representatives always interact with both consumers and healthcare workers and government officials. Any complaint about the quality of Bayer products is considered both by the manufacturer and by the company’s management structures. Based on the results of numerous examinations, a decision is made on how to change the unsatisfactory characteristics of manufactured products in the future.
Company in the world
Bayer Corporation is an international company providing expertise in the fields of healthcare and agriculture. About 302 representative offices are located today in 75 countries around the world. The corporation's activities are based on the principles of economic stability, sustainable growth and high social responsibility.
In 2008, the corporation's Canadian division was recognized as one of the "100 best employers Canada" according to Mediacorp Canada Inc, and later - one of the best employers in Toronto according to the Toronto Star newspaper. The company's American division scored 85 points out of 100 on the 2011 Corporate Equality Index for its human rights campaign on tolerance of sexual minorities.
Bayer management recently announced the acquisition American company of Merck & Co.'s over-the-counter drugs for $14.2 billion. This will allow us to gain leadership in the core market in North and Latin America, as well as take second place in the world in this area. Projections state that the deal will result in net income growth of 2% in the year following the purchase. The Chairman of the Board of Bayer considers such expansion very important for the corporation’s activities and plans not to stop there.
This OTC symbiosis will help Bayer's 8,800 employees and Merck & Co.'s 2,000 employees work closely together to form a new, strengthened Bayer portfolio of OTC products from both entities. The categories of over-the-counter products, as before, will be dermatological drugs, products against gastrointestinal diseases, colds, flu, allergies and vitamin-mineral complexes. The cooperation of the two giants will help introduce, according to the concluded agreement, over-the-counter cardiovascular drugs, bringing in up to $2 billion in profits annually.
Such an acquisition increased the price of Bayer shares by 2% by international market valuable papers.
Activity of the company
Bayer Corporation is an innovative global leader in the fields of seed protection, plant protection, biotechnology, and conservation agriculture. The company's products include high-quality seeds, innovative systems of chemical and biological plant protection. Recognizing the need for integrity in the agricultural system, Bayer is developing 5 main areas that can make a breakthrough in the agricultural sector:
- innovation and research;
- development of agricultural regions;
- agricultural intensification;
- health and food security guarantees;
- broad partnership.
Bayer invests about 10% of its profits every year in research and innovation, making the company the best developer of seeds and effective crop protection. To reduce poverty around the world, Bayer experts are helping small farmers learn to grow as much food as possible on their land, some of which they can use for food and the rest they can sell. To help plants cope with climate change, Bayer is working on biological and chemical agents that can be beneficial in this context. Also, the corporation’s specialists minimize the impact own production on those processes that themselves cause climate change.
Where can you buy Bayer products?
Online pharmacy ZDRAVZONA
Bayer products can be purchased not only in retail network around the world, but also on the Internet. For example, the most popular products from the company are available in the online pharmacy ZDRAVZONA. Here, any consumer can easily find Rennie chewable tablets, which help with heartburn and stomach pain, effervescent Aspirin-Bayer, which helps cope with moderate pain, fever and inflammatory processes in adult bodies, Alka-Seltzer effervescent hangover tablets and many other over-the-counter effective medical facilities.
Online pharmacy "36.6"
In almost every retail pharmacy, as well as an online pharmacy, there are products from Bayer. The most common request when searching for medications from this brand on the Internet remains the famous aspirin, which can be purchased, for example, at the online pharmacy “36.6”. Aspirin-Bayer in effervescent form very quickly relieves pain of various etiologies, so many network users want to buy this drug inexpensively online without a prescription.
Online pharmacy ZdravCity
When it comes to purchasing prescription drugs from various companies, not all online pharmacies can satisfy such patient requests. However, the ZdravCity online pharmacy has a large assortment of prescription drugs produced by the Bayer corporation. To prevent venous thromboembolism after extensive surgical interventions on the lower extremities, the company's specialists have developed a special prescription drug, Xarelto, which can be purchased at this online pharmacy. Also presented here is the drug Levitra, a targeted drug against erectile dysfunction with proven effectiveness. To purchase this drug, you also need a prescription from a doctor. At the ZdravCity online pharmacy you can buy inexpensively online the antifungal drug Mikospor from Bayer, which will be effective against pathogenic skin mycoses, athlete's foot, candidiasis, pityriasis versicolor and other pathological processes.
Bayer AG is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company based in Barmen (on this moment- part of Wuppertal, Germany) in 1836. Its headquarters are located in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany).
The history of the pharmaceutical concern Bayer began in 1836 in Barmen - now one of the districts of the city of Wuppertal. The founders of the company were Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Wescott.
Initially Partnership with unlimited liability Friedr. Bayer et comp., was engaged in the production of a new type of paint: synthetic dyes from coal tar derivatives.
At that time, the German light industry was experiencing an increase in production and the need for inexpensive dyes was very high. Natural paints that were used previously were very expensive and their quantity was limited.
Thanks to German legislation at that time and the industrial growth of the mid-19th century, the number of enterprises involved in the production of synthetic dyes grew very quickly, but only large players with their own research base and taking advantage of the opportunities of the global market were able to remain on the market. One of the company's innovations was the production of Anizarin, a red synthetic dye.
From 1836 to 1881, Bayer was able to significantly strengthen its position in the local market, from the general partnership “Friedr. Bayer et comp." the company was transformed into Joint-Stock Company under the name "Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co.”, thus laying the financial foundation for the future concern. The number of employees increased from 3 to 300 people.
The company owes its scientific potential and numerous innovations to Karl Duisberg, the creator scientific laboratory in Wuppertal-Elberfeld. Thanks to the work of this laboratory, new standards for industrial research were established, many innovative dyes were invented, and with the advent of the pharmaceutical department, many drugs unique for their time, including Bayer’s most famous drug, “aspirin.”
“The drug of the century” - that’s what “aspirin” was called, was synthesized by Felix Hoffman. “Aspirin” was an excellent alternative to the expensive and inaccessible salicin and salicylic acid, which is dangerous for the stomach - the main painkillers of that time. But for the commercial success of a new invention, benefits alone were not enough.
The company used a marketing move that was new for its time (now we would call it direct mail) - it spared no expense in publishing a 200-page catalog of its products in 30,000 copies, where the main emphasis was on the new product - “aspirin”. At that time, there were about 30 thousand practicing doctors in Europe - and Bayer sent out its catalog to all of them free of charge.
As a result, thanks to smart marketing and exploitation of the global market, Bayer has sold approximately 1 trillion tablets since March 1899, when the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin registered the trademark. Thanks to the production of aspirin, Bayer has become one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.
But besides inventing aspirin, the company was able to make another splash in the medical world. In 1898, under the leadership of Heinrich Daser, a drug was created that relieved pain better than morphine and was safer; in addition, employees of the company's research laboratory, who tested the new drug on themselves, discovered a powerful emotional reaction. These new drugs were “heroin.” At that time, “heroin” was produced in the form of pills and syrups and was prescribed for many diseases, from influenza to multiple sclerosis.
Thanks to numerous inventions and large profits in the local market, the company began to expand into the world market, the creation of a worldwide sales network being a decisive factor in the continuous development of the company. From the very beginning, Bayer began to supply dyes and medicines to markets in many countries around the world.
By the beginning of the 20th century, more than 80% of the company's revenue came from exporting products. In 1865, the company acquired a share in the first foreign factory for the production of dyes from processed products coal. One of the first foreign enterprises was a factory in New York City.
In 1876, the company's first enterprise outside Germany was opened in Moscow - the Friedrich Bayer & Co. aniline dye factory.
In 1904, the famous cross became the Bayer logo. Because Bayer aspirin was distributed only by pharmacists and doctors, and the company could not use its own packaging, a cross was printed on the tablets so that consumers could associate the company name with aspirin.
The first serious test for Bayer was the First World War. Due to the conflict, the concern lost its markets and many subsidiaries. In the United States, authorities confiscated the German company's enterprises, along with patents and trademarks, and sold them to competitors.
In 1913, Bayer became one of the three largest German chemical companies, with more than 10 thousand employees and workers around the world working in the company's production facilities. The concern owned more than 8 thousand patents for various paints, medicines and chemicals. One of the achievements was winning a patent for synthetic rubber.
Due to its powerful scientific base, in the first years of World War Bayer production was subordinated to military needs; instead of aspirin, the production of trinitrotoluene, a powerful explosive, was started. In addition to trinitrotoluene, the production of toxic substances was organized, including chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas.
Despite all the achievements, after Germany's defeat in the First World War, not only the company's foreign assets were confiscated, but also all patents and trademarks, including Aspirin. In addition, the global economic crisis of the 30s was a strong blow; the company was forced to reduce its staff by 20%.
In 1925, Bayer, together with former competitors BASF and Hoechst, merged to form the chemical concern I.G.Farbenindustrie AG. As a result, despite the fact that the German economy was devastated by the war, the fourth largest global corporation emerged in the country, which retained leadership in its industry. But the association also had negative sides, until the 1950s the Bayer brand disappeared from the world market.
At this time, the company began new scientific developments, promising directions- synthetic rubber and polymers. In the 30s, polyurethane was invented. But even greater success awaited the company in connection with the discovery of Gerhard Domagk, who discovered the therapeutic effect of sulfonamides. The researcher received the Nobel Prize in 1939, and the company received another unique scientific development.
During the Second World War, the company's potential fell into the hands of the Nazis; the production of lethal gases and other toxic substances was organized on the basis of the enterprises, among which was Cyclone-6, which was used in many concentration camps. In addition, dangerous drugs were tested on prisoners, and slave labor of prisoners was used in factories.
As a result, at the Nuremberg trials in 1947, the leaders of the united concern IG Farben were found to have participated in war crimes. In 1950, IG Farben was divided into 12 companies. As a result, Farbenfabriken Bayer AG was born again in 1951. That is, the same companies entered the chemical industry market as before the 1925 unification.
Immediately after the war, the main problem was the restoration of foreign markets, despite the fact that the company for the second time in its history lost its foreign assets, including its valuable patents, Bayer's activities in the domestic market were extremely important.
The destroyed country needed medicines, as well as other chemical products companies, and the country's economy needed tens of thousands of jobs. In the early 1950s, Bayer began buying up foreign subsidiaries. Just like 30 years ago, the main sales markets were the USA and Latin American countries.
Despite all the post-war difficulties, Bayer did not stop its scientific development, just as in the 19th century, innovative research brought large profits to the company; in the 50s, various drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, dermatological antifungals and broad-spectrum antibiotics were created. The range of drugs was constantly growing and expanding, new ones were opening production capacity, the number of personnel increased. By 1963, the company employed more than 80 thousand people.
The number of subsidiaries kept growing, and for further development, a major reorganization of the company was required. In 1971, the modern designation Bayer AG appeared, and the corporation was reformed into a subsidiary structure, which replaced functional organization, introduced in the 1950s.
In 1957, Bayer entered a new market for petroleum products; this became possible after Bayer bought Deutsche BP and formed a new company, Erdolchemie GmbH. In addition, the company’s successes in photographic equipment and agriculture.
In the 1970s, Bayer began active expansion into the American market. The company first acquired Cutter Laboratories Inc in 1974 and Miles Laboratories Inc in 1976, which allowed it to take a leading position in the US pharmaceutical market by 1978.
In the 1970s, Bayer not only expanded its production, but also became active in protecting the environment. The first step was the launch of Europe's largest industrial water treatment plant in Dormagen. In addition, Bayer paid great attention to promoting the fight for the environment and raising public awareness of this problem. In 1980, the Bayer Tower Biology organization began work in Leverkusen, which organized the treatment of wastewater from biological contamination.
In addition to propaganda, Bayer also reduced its own emissions. Thus, from 1977 to 1987, the content of heavy metals in used water decreased by 85-99%, and the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere by 80%. As a result, the struggle for the environment grew into global trend, and Bayer spent on environmental safety about 5 billion German marks.
Between the 1970s and 1990s, Bayer experienced constant transformation in the face of increasing globalization and changing global market conditions.
In the late 1980s, due to political changes in Europe, the company began active production and sales activities in eastern Germany. At the end of the 80s, a new plant, which produced products for Eastern Europe.
Bayer did not weaken its influence on the American market; in 1990, the largest purchase in the company's history took place - the Canadian company Polysar Rubber Corporation, headquartered in Toronto, was acquired. Thanks to this transaction, the Bayer group became the world's largest supplier of raw materials to the rubber industry.
Since back in the mid-20th century, Bayer lost the opportunity to sell its products in the US market under its own name, returning the brand was an extremely important task. This became possible only after the purchase of the company that owned the rights to the Bayer trademark.
This company was Sterling Drug, which specialized in the production of self-medication medications. Thanks to this purchase, Bayer was again able to operate in the United States under its own name using its famous logo.
By the end of the 20th century, Bayer had regained its role as the world's largest chemical and pharmaceutical company. Thanks to the company's success, the city of Leverkusen has become a powerful industrial and science Center Germany where you grew up scientific institutes and large enterprises.
Bayer owes one of the main pillars of its success to the notorious “aspirin,” which was constantly in demand and always helped the company stay afloat and make big profits. Thanks to its profitable invention, Bayer spent huge amounts of money on the development of non-core enterprises, which were often unprofitable.
In addition, profits from the production and sale of aspirin helped the company survive during economic turmoil. Not many companies succeeded in this; often global corporations abandoned unprofitable industries. And Bayer, even in the “black” year of 2001 for the company, managed to avoid a crisis and a drop in production, in addition, the corporate structure of more than 120 thousand people around the world was preserved.
In 2001, Bayer was at the center of an international scandal. As a result of taking the drug Lipobay, which is responsible for lowering cholesterol in the blood, 52 people died in several countries around the world. As a result, Bayer spent about 800 million euros to settle relations with its clients.
In June 2006, Bayer AG sold its Bayer Diagnostics division, which deals with diagnostic solutions in medicine, to Siemens AG for 4.2 billion euros. The division, with a turnover of 1.43 billion euros and 5,400 employees, was fully integrated into Siemens AG in the second quarter of 2007.
The company's management met 2008 with great optimism, and, despite the difficult economic situation around the world, the company showed good results, in the first quarters the growth of assets was more than 5% compared to the same period in 2007. Bayer HealthCare and Bayer CropScience performed better than others - these two divisions, despite the crisis, are demonstrating active sales growth.
On 2 November 2010, Bayer AG signed an agreement to acquire Auckland-based veterinary company Bomac Group. Financial information was not published due to confidentiality obligations.
BAYER operates according to the principles sustainable development. The long-term commercial success of the company's products is ensured by the combination of the company's economic growth with environmental and social responsibility.
Bayer CropScience is a world leader in the production and sale of innovative products and innovative inventions in crop protection and pest control.
The company's product range includes a wide range of varieties and hybrid forms of field crops.
Story
1873 - Friedrich Bayer (merchant) and Johann Westcott (master dyer) organize the company “Friedr. Bayer et comp" produces synthetic dyes.
1881 - the joint stock company Farbenfabriken vorm is formed on the basis of the company. Friedr. Bayer&Co" with a workforce of about 300 people.
1876 - organization of the first enterprise of azaline dyes in Moscow. Until this time, Bayer was actively exporting artificial dyes to Russia, satisfying up to 75% of demand.
1883 - a decision is made to expand production in Russia. Vladimir Stolyarov, a Moscow merchant, leases a factory in his name.
1884 - V. Stolyarov buys out the previously rented factory.
1885 - V. Stolyarov formalizes ownership of the dyeing production. Theodor Bettinger is the creditor. The company Bergmann&vom Scheidt was established to carry out sales.
1897 - the company opens a sales agency and the company “Friedr. Bayer & Co.
1898 - 908 - production capacity expands. New sites are being acquired for the development of factories.
1912 - Weier begins production of pharmaceuticals. The company is being transformed into a joint stock company “Chem. Fabrik Friedr. Bayer&Co." The company ranks second in importing various products to Russia.
First World War and the revolution is interrupted business relationship between Bayer and Russian business.
1978 - Bayer office opens in Moscow.
90s - Bayer CJSC is registered in Russia.
Branches
Today the company is represented in Russia by three divisions: Bayer CropScience, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer MaterialScience.
Bayer offices are open in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
The company has representative offices in 20 regions Russian Federation, covering not only the European, but also the Asian part of the country.
Industrial base
Bayer CropScience is headquartered in Monheim, Germany. The company has three divisions - Plant Protection, Biological Sciences, Protection Environment. The close interaction of all departments ensures the company's success with consumers.
Manufacturing plants company are located.
> Bayer, JSC (Moscow)
This information cannot be used for self-medication!
Consultation with a specialist is required!
CJSC Bayer is the Russian office of the international wide-profile concern Bayer. The areas of interest of this company include healthcare, agriculture and light industry (production of polyurethane and polycarbonate products).
The medical subconcern of Bayer JSC specializes in the development, testing and production of modern pharmaceuticals and products medical purposes. The task of the Russian division is to introduce Bayer medicines to the market. The company's production portfolio includes both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. One of narrow specializations The company is the development and production of glycemic level monitoring systems, which are in demand in endocrinology. The company's pharmaceutical production facilities are located in Germany, in Leverkusen.
Bayer also develops drugs for the treatment of animals, as well as care products for domestic and farm animals. Some of the company's products are in demand in the automotive industry, agriculture, and everyday life.
JSC Bayer produces the following drugs:
- drug from the group of chondroprotectors Teraflex, used for osteoarthritis to strengthen and restore articular cartilage;
- line of skin protection and treatment products Bepanten, which includes Bepanthen cream to prevent dry skin, Bepanten ointment for the prevention of diaper dermatitis and diaper rash, Bepanten Plus, which has a complex antiseptic effect;
- Bepantol emulsion– a remedy for stretch marks and Bepantol cooling foam for first aid for sun and other skin burns;
- medicine Skinoren for the treatment of acne;
- glucocorticoid drug Advantan in the form of a cream, emulsion, and ointment, the drug is effective for skin itching of various etiologies;
- hypoallergenic product for the care of dry, sensitive skin – Dardia;
- balanced multivitamin complexes Supradin(recommended for adults) and Supradin Kids(for children from 3 years old);
- vitamins Elevit-pronatal– vitamin and mineral complex for pregnant women;
- vitamin complex Berocca plus to restore and maintain overall performance;
- heartburn remedy– antacid drug Rennie;
- remedy for hemorrhoids Relief in the form of rectal suppositories;
- calcium supplement in combination with vitamin D3 – Calcemin Advance for the prevention of calcium deficiency and treatment of osteoporosis;
- vasoconstrictors sprays Nazol, Nazol Advance, as well as sprays for children - Nazol Baby And Nazol Kids;
- preparations based on acetylsalicylic acid – Aspirin-S And Aspirin Complex;
- antipyretic Antiflu Kids for children;
- painkiller Alkazeltzer, used primarily for hangovers to treat headaches and other symptoms;
- combined analgesic Saridon, effective for dental, menstrual and muscle pain;
- glucose level measuring device – blood glucose meter CONTOUR™ TS and a device for taking blood for analysis - MICROLET™2;
- contrast agents Magnevist, Ultravist and Gadovist and systems for their introduction;
- drugs Xarelto and Aspirin Cardio for the prevention of thromboembolic complications;
- fluoroquinolone antibiotics Tsiprobay And Avelox;
- Levitra drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction;
- hormonal agent Nebido, a testosterone analogue for the treatment of deficiency of this hormone in men;
- oral contraceptives Visanne, Jess Plus, Yarina Plus, Angelica And Mirena, which also have a therapeutic effect for certain diseases of the female genital area;
- antitumor drug Nexavar, used to treat some types of cancer;
- drug for the treatment of occlusive arterial diseases – Ilomedin, the use of which can significantly alleviate the condition of patients;
- Iloprost– a drug for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
1. Bayer invented heroin
For some (especially those who have studied the history of the drug trade) this is common knowledge, but many are shocked to learn that a company as old and large as Bayer is responsible for creating one of the most dangerous drugs in history. But frankly, it's not surprising that most people aren't aware of Bayer's connection to heroin, since the company has done everything it can to distance itself from its creation.
The drug that eventually became known as heroin was first created by C.R. Elder Wright in 1874, who simply experimented with morphine and did nothing with the substances he obtained. This drug was independently synthesized again only 23 years later by chemist Felix Hoffmann, who then worked for the German company Aktiengesellschaft Farbenfabriken ( future company Bayer). Hoffamann was tasked with converting morphine into codeine to create a drug that was less potent and less addictive. But instead, he created a drug that was twice as powerful as morphine.
Bayer did create and patent heroin (it was so named because it evoked a heroic feeling in those who took it) and sold the drug as a cough suppressant and even specifically recommended giving it to children. The company even advertised heroin as a treatment for morphine addiction, until it discovered that the body quickly converted it into morphine.
The company lost many of its trademark rights related to heroin (along with aspirin) after the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, after which it was produced by others third party companies, and then drug dealers after its prohibition in the United States in 1924.
2. Bayer did not formally invent aspirin.
Although Bayer took credit for the creation of acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, to Felix Hoffmann (the chemist who synthesized heroin) and therefore to itself, the drug was actually first created in 1853 by the chemist Charles Frédéric Gérard and then independently reproduced in different ways by many other chemists.
Most historians agree that Hoffmann did his research and was well aware of previously used methods for producing aspirin and therefore could not have invented the drug by accident, but simply found a way to make it safer and less bitter in taste. There is even evidence that Hoffmann worked on aspirin at the direction of his boss, and thus he did not even create it himself. But, in any case, Bayer decided to list Hoffmann as the inventor on the US patent for this drug, obtained in 1899.
3. Bayer tried to continue making money in America during World War I
Bayer patented aspirin in 1899, and this safe, effective medicine for fever and pain quickly became its best-selling product. However, by the outbreak of World War I in 1914, many companies around the world were already selling their own versions of this drug. Soon after the outbreak of war, England banned the import of goods made by German companies, including Bayer, and in 1915 Bayer was stripped of its trademark rights to aspirin so that other companies could use that name for their drugs.
Unfortunately for Bayer, not only was it losing markets, it was also having difficulty meeting production demands, since one of the main ingredients needed to synthesize aspirin was phenol, which was also used in the production of explosives. Bayer still had a large market in the US, as well as factories in which it could produce aspirin for sale in North America, but it needed to find a supplier of phenol, since it could not get it from Germany, and then Bayer resorted to a ploy, known as the Great Phenolic Conspiracy.
The Great Phenolic Plot was complex, but essentially involved using a shell company to purchase excess phenol from Thomas Edison, who had set up his own factory to produce the substance, which was also needed to make phonographs. However, within a few months, a briefcase containing detailed information about this conspiracy was discovered by a Secret Service agent.
Although there was nothing illegal about this plot, since the United States had not yet entered the war at that time, the publication of information related to it in the media caused a major scandal. And although the resulting phenol was enough to operate its aspirin factories, the scandal destroyed Bayer's reputation.
After the discovery of the Great Phenolic Plot, Bayer began opening more shell companies and subsidiaries in the United States to avoid losing control of its assets if the United States entered the war. When the US declared war on Germany, Bayer was investigated and moved its assets into a company that was technically American but controlled by the same German-American management. However, this ruse was quickly discovered, and the government soon took control of Bayer's American assets and then sold all of its trademarks and patents, including its name and logo, to the healthcare company Sterling Products, Inc. Bayer AG eventually purchased all of its rights in 1994.
4. Bayer Produced Some of the Most Dangerous Gases Used During World War I
Here are two facts about World War I that everyone knows: 1) soldiers were in trenches, and 2) gases were among the most dangerous weapons of the war. But few people know that without Bayer these chemical weapons might not have existed. It all started shortly before the war, when the chairman of the board of Bayer, Karl Duisberg, became one of the three people, which War Department instructed to find a use for toxic waste already produced chemical enterprises. This group recommended using them to produce chlorine, which Bayer then helped produce and send to the front. Duisberg was even present at the first test of these chemical weapons.
Under the leadership of the same Duisberg, Bayer created more dangerous gases, including phosgene and mustard gas. It is estimated that over 60,000 people died from these gases during the First World War. And although not all of these people died from Bayer products, without this company these deaths might not have happened at all.
5. Bayer war crimes during World War II
After World War I, Bayer merged with a number of other chemical and medical companies in Germany to create a conglomerate called IG Farben, which was among the few companies that financed the Nazi Party and allowed Hitler to rise to power.
IG Farben owned 40% of the shares of the company that produced Zyklon B, which was used to exterminate people in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, but this was far from the only role of this corporation in the Holocaust. She was directly involved in some of the Nazis' worst war crimes, as none other than Josef Mengele himself tested her drugs on healthy Jewish twins. The company also conducted its own experiments on Holocaust victims, purchasing them from the Nazis to infect them with various diseases and use them as laboratory rats. Most of the drugs tested in these experiments killed all subjects. IG Farben also made extensive use of the labor of concentration camp prisoners, for which Bayer apologized in 1995.
IG Farben was liquidated after World War II due to its war crimes, and Bayer was reborn as an independent company. And, naturally, she did everything possible to distance herself from these war crimes.
6. Bayer broke the law when creating hemophilia drugs that gave people AIDS.
Some medications, such as those used to treat hemophilia, are made from human blood. Not surprisingly, these drugs could spread dangerous diseases quite easily, which is why in the early 1980s, with the onset of the AIDS epidemic, the federal government banned the use of prisoners, intravenous drug users, and gay men as blood donors for these drugs. But Bayer ignored these laws and used blood pools from these populations in the production of its clotting factors VIII and IX for hemophiliacs. To make matters worse, since the company pooled the blood of all donors (more than 10,000 people), even a small number of sick donors could contaminate the entire pool.
As a result, a drug that was supposed to save lives has itself become potentially dangerous. Tests conducted by the CDC in 1985 found that 74% of hemophiliacs who took the drug were infected with AIDS. Ultimately, approximately 20,000 hemophiliacs from around the world were infected with AIDS as a result of taking Bayer's clotting factors VIII and IX. Since then, Bayer has paid out more than $600 million in compensation to hemophiliacs who contracted AIDS.
7. Bayer continued to sell potentially contaminated drugs outside the US for years.
As if it wasn't enough that it had already infected thousands of people with AIDS, Bayer decided to continue selling its dangerous products in other countries, even after they had to be removed from pharmacy shelves in the US and Europe. In essence, to neutralize the HIV virus in these drugs, they only needed to be subjected to heat treatment. But instead of selling only the safer version of these drugs and withdrawing the more dangerous version from sale, Bayer continued to sell the latter in Asian and Latin American countries. It even produced new batches of the old version of the drug because it was cheaper to produce.
Bayer continues to maintain that it acted responsibly, ethically and humanely, offering numerous justifications for its behavior. In particular, they say that buyers doubted the effectiveness of the new drug, that some countries were slow to approve the sale of a safer drug, and that plasma shortages prevented them from producing more of the new drugs. Yet despite all these claims, internal company documentation shows that even then Bayer knew it was doing wrong. In 1985, the company questioned whether it could knowingly supply uncooked drugs to Japan, and yet continued to do so.
8. At the end of the last century, Bayer was accused of fraud with Medicaid
the federal law requires that drugs be sold at the lowest price for Medicaid, and if a company offers to buy the drug at a lower price to a private insurance company or pharmacy, it must return the difference to Medicaid. By entering into a contract with Kaiser Permanente in 1995, Bayer violated this law by agreeing to sell the company the antibiotic Cipro at a lower price than Medicaid after Kaiser threatened to use Johnson & Johnson's cheaper ofloxacin. Instead of complying with the law and notifying Medicaid of the price change, which would have required it to pay tens of millions of dollars in compensation, Bayer accepted Kaiser's offer to rename the drug and give it a different identification number. The year before, the company did the same with its antihypertensive drug nifedipine.
In 2003, Bayer, despite continuing to maintain that it acted responsibly, still pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $257 million in compensation and fines.
9. Bayer still owns the patent on aspirin in many countries.
It may surprise you, but after all its war crimes and all the changes in ownership, Bayer still has a patent on aspirin in some countries. In fact, although the company lost the patent on this drug in the US, UK and France during World War I, it retained its rights to it in Canada, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland and more than 75 other countries.
Bayer tried its best to maintain its patent and its brand, especially immediately after its introduction. When the company began producing aspirin in 1899, it gave free samples of the drug to doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies and asked them all to report on its effectiveness. And when other companies began producing their own aspirin, Bayer began producing the drug in tablet form (at first it was sold as a powder).
10. Bayer was accused of spreading the Spanish flu to increase sales
Unlike the other items on this list, this item is just a conspiracy theory, but at the same time, Bayer would probably want to keep it a secret that people have been accusing it of intentionally spreading the Spanish Flu since 1918. While this conspiracy theory may have no basis in reality, it is easy to see why people believed it. The fact is that this German company sold practically the only remedy for this disease.
It's also worth noting that one researcher, Karen Starko, argued that many of the deaths associated with the Spanish flu were actually caused by aspirin overdose, since the drug was still new and doctors did not know what dosage to prescribe it in and What does aspirin poisoning look like? But even Starko noted that this was just speculation, since she could not find reliable autopsy reports to know whether there were symptoms of aspirin poisoning.
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