The pharmaceuticals division of Bayer Corporation has realigned its field sales force. A key element in the company's overall strategy to bring greater business focus across a number of key functional areas, this move is intended to strengthen support in primary care, specialty and hospital environments, enhance sales of current products and position Bayer for future product launches.

Bayer will develop a Men's Health specialty field force to support current products CiproÒ (ciprofloxacin) and ViadurÔ (leuprolide acetate implant) with urologists and endocrinologists and in anticipation of the company's launch of vardenafil, the company's PDE-5 inhibitor currently under review with the FDA for the improvement of erectile function. Bayer also recently entered a primary care co-promotion agreement with GlaxoSmithKline for vardenafil, strategically supplementing the 1,000 member Bayer U.S. primary care sales group. Vardenafil has now been submitted for market approval in all major regions worldwide.

The company has also increased its Anti-Infective specialty force to support AveloxÒ (moxifloxacin) and Cipro (ciprofloxacin) tablets, effectively doubling its overall specialty sales coverage. "This increase in the Bayer U.S. Pharmaceuticals field force complements our primary care coverage and reinforces our commitment and reach to the specialist physicians who are key thought leaders and prescribers of our products. Adding our new agreement with GSK we believe we are extremely well positioned for significant market penetration," said Karen A. Dawes, Senior Vice President for Marketing and Sales, Pharmaceuticals Division, Bayer Corporation.

As part of this overall realignment, Bayer ended its agreement with PDI, Inc., a contract sales organization who provided details to the primary care market. Bayer will continue its relationship with contract sales provider, Ventiv, to provide additional support for Bayer products in the primary care arena. Ventiv will also work with Bayer's Institutional field force to provide hospital coverage supporting accelerated sales of Cipro IV and the launch of recently approved Avelox IV. Increased attention and focus in this key environment through the combination of the existing Bayer sales force, contracted Ventiv sales representatives and two Bayer specialty sales forces will heighten Bayer's ability to reach physicians and, ultimately, patients with Cipro, Avelox and the IV formulations of these compounds.

In an important concurrent announcement, Bayer has appointed David Stellingworth to the position of Vice President, Division Sales for the U.S. Pharmaceuticals field force. Stellingworth, who reports to Karen A. Dawes, is a 25-year Bayer veteran and has spent 16 years in U.S. pharmaceuticals sales. "The increase in our specialty forces, enhancements in the primary care arena and expanded reach into the hospital environment are precisely aligned to our strategic focus. We now have the right structure in place to meet and exceed our goals," said Mr. Stellingworth.