BERLIN: Bayer is not currently operating in the GLP-1 drug market and expects to deepen its focus on existing consumer-health categories, including pain relief and women’s health, Daniella Foster, the company’s Head of Public Affairs, Market Access, and Sustainability, Consumer Health, said.
Speaking to The Global Envoy‘s Rohan Dua on the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Foster said Bayer would prioritise areas where it already had scientific expertise and established capabilities rather than expand indiscriminately into new product categories.
“We’re pretty clear in the spaces and categories that we work now,” Foster said. “So, if anything, I would expect us to really double down there.”
Asked whether Bayer was considering entering the market for GLP-1 medicines, which have gained prominence in the treatment of obesity and diabetes, Foster said: “That’s not a space we’re in.”
She said the company would continue to focus on non-communicable diseases and women’s health, building on its heritage in products such as aspirin and oral contraceptives.
Bayer’s established consumer-health portfolio includes brands such as Saridon, a pain-relief product sold in India. Its women’s-health portfolio includes Yasmin, an oral contraceptive.
Foster emphasised the importance of preventive healthcare, access to over-the-counter medicines and nutritional supplements, saying affordability and availability were central to strengthening healthcare systems.
Foster also invited feedback on consumer needs in India, asking which products people would like to see more readily available at local pharmacies, including protein products, micronutrients and allergy treatments.
The interview took place during the World Health Summit, where policymakers, healthcare professionals and industry representatives discussed global health priorities.
