Bayer Lands Merck Consumer As Springboard to Lead Global OTC Industry

The $14.2 billion deal is “a major milestone on our path toward global leadership” in OTC sales, says Bayer Chairman Marijn Dekkers. The acquisition focuses on expanding international sales of Merck products including the Claritin allergy, Coppertone sunscreen and MiraLax constipation lines.

Bayer AG will become the second-largest OTC drug firm and have a springboard to reach No. 1 by paying $14.2 billion for Merck & Co. Inc.’s consumer business with “very powerful household names in North America” that Bayer plans to make popular worldwide, says Chairman Marijn Dekkers.

The agreement announced May 6 comes 14 months after Bayer announced its goal of being the top global OTC firm...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from China

Beijing City Releases AI Action Plan Including Drug Regulation

 
• By 

Amid the wait for an action plan to apply AI tools to drug regulation at the national level in China, capital city Beijing has released its own vision of scenarios for the technology in the healthcare sector.

China Unveils Multiple Policies To Support Innovative Drugs Throughout Life Cycle

 
• By 

China has announced a raft of new measures to encourage innovative drug development across the product life cycle, including using insurance data to differentiate new therapies and applying commercial insurance to selected novel products.

To Compete With China, US FDA Must Deregulate Early Gene Therapy Studies, CAR-T Inventor Says

 

FDA regulation was painted as an obstacle to US dominance in the cell and gene therapy space even as panelists at an agency event praised the Office of Therapeutic Products' track record under Nicole Verdun.

China NMPA Lays Out Regulatory Priorities At DIA

 
• By 

At this year’s DIA China meeting, the national regulator updated its policy focus areas for this year, including clinical trial data protection and pilot projects to shorten IND approval times.

More from Asia

Profit-Sharing AI Model Proposed To Boost Korean Drug R&D

 
• By 

A differentiated profit-sharing model to accelerate the use of AI in drug development using clinical and patient data is being proposed in South Korea, but the idea faces multiple practical challenges

Welireg Among Japan Recommendations; Economic Policy Raises Hopes Of Higher Prices

 
• By 

Country recommends eights new drugs for approval, including six for rare diseases, and also announces macroeconomic policy the pharma industry says would enable some reimbursement prices to be raised.

Citeline Japan Awards 2025 - Enter Now!

 

The 14 July deadline for the Citeline Japan Awards 2025 in Tokyo is approaching fast, so here's a reminder to take a look at the categories and criteria and be sure to get your submissions in by this date. Sponsorship opportunities and tables for the event are also available.