Bayer Forecasts Growth in Pharmaceutical Business Starting in 2027, Focusing on Five Key Therapeutic Areas

Bayer, a global leader in healthcare innovation, has unveiled its strategic plans for expanding its pharmaceutical business, with expectations of significant growth beginning in 2027. The announcement was made during the Pharma Media Day 2026 held in Berlin, where Stefan Oelrich, a member of the Bayer AG board and president of the pharmaceutical division, detailed the company's development strategy. Bayer aims to enhance its operational margin to 30% by the year 2030, showcasing a commitment to sustained growth in the coming years.

Oelrich emphasized that a consistent focus on scientific advancements and business priorities will be crucial in driving this growth. He stated, "We are firmly adhering to our strategy and are witnessing the results. Our product portfolio is the strongest it has been in years, and the integration of artificial intelligence is bolstering our capabilities. This gives us confidence that starting in 2027, Bayer will return to stable growth and achieve an operational margin of 30% by 2030."

Among the five key therapeutic areas Bayer plans to concentrate on, Oelrich highlighted cardiology, particularly secondary stroke prevention, and comprehensive treatment of chronic kidney disease. Additionally, oncology, specifically the treatment of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, women's health, and management of menopausal symptoms are also significant focus areas for the company.

Kristin Roth, executive vice president and global head of product strategy and commercialization within Bayer's pharmaceutical division, noted that the company has already made substantial progress for patients through "bold decisions made in recent years." This underscores Bayer's active efforts to innovate within its product offerings, aiming to enhance patient care and treatment outcomes.

Christian Rommel, executive vice president and global head of research and development at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, reported on the implementation of a portfolio renewal strategy with innovative solutions. "In 2025, we received three new drug approvals, two new indications, and six positive Phase III results. In 2026, we anticipate a number of significant achievements that will strengthen our innovation strategy, ranging from precision medicine in cardiology and oncology to advancements in cell and gene therapies and molecular imaging," Rommel explained.

Moreover, Sai Justi, senior vice president and head of data science and artificial intelligence at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, underscored the importance of enhancing research and development productivity. He stated that Bayer aims to increase R&D productivity by 40% by 2030 through the implementation of artificial intelligence. "We are committed to boosting research and development productivity by 40% by 2030, leveraging artificial intelligence," he said.

Justi also highlighted Bayer's strategic partnerships with institutions such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the United States, FinnGen in Finland, and Precise in Singapore. These collaborations utilize a global ecosystem that combines anonymized data and AI-driven analytics to accelerate drug discovery in key areas such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

In addition, Bayer has partnered with Cradle, a company whose platform helps reduce development timelines and advance high-quality molecules to clinical stages more quickly and accurately. This partnership represents another step towards improving the efficiency and quality of new drug development processes.

In Ukraine, Denis Komendatyuk, head of Bayer's pharmaceutical division, noted that the company's global innovations directly impact the growth of its pharmaceutical business. "The expansion of our global portfolio creates opportunities to introduce modern therapies to Ukrainian patients more swiftly. We are working to ensure that innovative drugs become available in Ukraine as quickly as possible, aiding in the treatment of the most complex diseases. Even amid the challenging conditions of war, we continue to expand our local portfolio with innovative medications and support healthcare providers and patients," he emphasized.

Bayer operates internationally in the fields of healthcare and agriculture. In the 2025 fiscal year, the Bayer Group employed over 88,000 people, with sales exceeding 45.6 billion euros. Research and development expenditures, excluding special items, amounted to over 5.8 billion euros. Bayer in Ukraine is part of the global Bayer AG conglomerate, headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. The company began its operations in Ukraine in 1992 and is represented in areas such as pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products, and agriculture.