Bayer Pharma's big change taking shape but won't be complete until patients benefit, says R&D boss Christian Rommel

When new group chief executive Bill Anderson takes over at Bayer (BAYN: DE) in June, he will find a Pharmaceuticals Division that looks very different to the organization that the American might have perceived for much of his 25 years in life sciences.

Famed for its long heritage in drugmaking and associated to a host of familiar names in medicine cabinets with expired patents, Bayer’s pharma unit has been undergoing a transformation in its R&D capabilities since 2018, when Stefan Oelrich took over as head of the division.

Since then, there have been bold investments in BlueRock, AskBio and Vividion, and noteworthy appointments including Christian Rommel, who was named the new head of R&D at the Pharmaceuticals Division in late 2020. Progress with the pipeline and improving wider R&D capabilities and culture has been significant.