Bayer AG forecasts growth of its pharmaceutical business starting in 2027, an increase in operating margin to 30% by 2030, and plans to focus on five key therapeutic areas.

As reported by an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, this was announced by Management Board member and President of Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division Stefan Oelrich during Pharma Media Day 2026 in Berlin.

He said that one of the growth drivers will be a consistent focus on science and business priorities.

"We are clearly adhering to our strategy and seeing results. Our drug portfolio is currently the strongest it has been in recent years, and the use of artificial intelligence is strengthening our capabilities. This gives us confidence that from 2027 Bayer will return to stable growth and achieve a 30% operating margin by 2030," he said.

Among the key therapeutic areas, he highlighted cardiology, in particular secondary stroke prevention, comprehensive treatment of chronic kidney disease, oncology, including treatment of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, as well as women’s health and menopause symptom management.

For her part, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Product Strategy and Commercialization and member of Bayer Pharmaceuticals’ leadership team Christine Roth noted that the company has achieved tangible results for patients, in particular thanks to "bold decisions made in recent years."

At the same time, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Research and Development for Bayer Pharmaceuticals Christian Rommel said the company is implementing a strategy to renew its portfolio with innovative solutions.

"In 2025, we received three new drug approvals, two new indications, and six positive Phase III results. In 2026, we expect a number of important milestones that will strengthen our innovation strategy, from precision medicine in cardiology and oncology to advances in cell and gene therapies and molecular imaging," he said.

In turn, Senior Vice President and Head of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Bayer Pharmaceuticals Sai Justi emphasized increased R&D productivity through a combination of proprietary AI and strategic partnerships.

"We aim to increase R&D productivity by 40% by 2030 through artificial intelligence," he said.

He also said that Bayer’s strategic partnerships with Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the United States, FinnGen in Finland, and Precise in Singapore leverage a global ecosystem that combines anonymized data and AI-driven analytics, accelerating drug discovery in key areas such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

Bayer has also signed a partnership with Cradle, whose platform helps shorten development timelines and bring higher-quality molecules into clinical trials faster and more accurately.

Meanwhile, Head of Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division in Ukraine Denys Komendatiuk said that Bayer’s global innovations directly impact the development of the company’s pharmaceutical business in Ukraine.

"The expansion of the global portfolio creates opportunities to bring modern therapies to Ukrainian patients more quickly. We are working to ensure that innovative medicines become available in Ukraine as rapidly as possible and help treat the most complex diseases. Even under the difficult conditions of war, we continue to expand our local portfolio with innovative products and support doctors and patients," he said.

Bayer is an international company operating in the healthcare and agriculture sectors. In fiscal year 2025, the Bayer Group employed more than 88,000 people, with sales exceeding EUR 45.6 billion. R&D expenditures before special items totaled more than EUR 5.8 billion.

Bayer in Ukraine is part of the global Bayer AG group, headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. The company has operated in Ukraine since 1992 and is represented by three divisions: pharmaceuticals, consumer health (over-the-counter medicines), and crop science.