BAYER JAPAN PROFITS BOOST

The Bayer group in Japan, which consists of 15 companies, was able to increase its sales by 1.7% to 219.5 billion yen in 1991 and improve its profits sharply by 43.8% to 9.9 billion yen ($74.6 million). Favorable pharmaceutical business trends coupled with restructuring and cost-cutting measures account for the surge in profits.

Sales in 1992 are expected to rise 2% to 223 billion yen, according to Theodor Heinrichsohn, president of Bayer Japan, taking into account the unfavorable economic climate and the average 8% lowering of Bayer's drug product prices from April 1, this year. Profits are also expected to be lower.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Bayer Yakuhin, which reported a 7.8% rise in 1991 sales to 91.2 billion yen, is now the tenth largest drugs supplier in Japan and the leading non-Japanese supplier. Further expansion is expected this year from the launch of its Factor VIII blood product, Kogenate, and a new diabetes treatment, Glucobay (acarbose).