The drugs and chemicals conglomerate is still happy with its three divisions selling medicines, plastics and crop chemicals, Chief Executive Officer Marijn Dekkers said in a press conference today.
Divesting a unit to raise cash for an acquisition would be an “extreme option,” Dekkers said.
“Looking is a big word,” the executive said in answer to a question about whether Bayer is seeking a deal big enough to require the sale of a unit. “You don’t have to look far, because there are only 20 companies that qualify as a big acquisition. We are at the moment happy with the three subgroups we have.”
Bayer estimates the market for new blood thinners including Xarelto may exceed 10 billion euros annually. The pill’s sales may peak at more than 2 billion euros, Dekkers said.
Bayer has said it expects U.S. regulators to decide this year whether Xarelto may be used in irregular heartbeat patients. Patients with an irregular heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation, make up the biggest market for the new blood thinners, according to Bayer. The company filed for approval to sell the drug for the same patient group in Europe in January.
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