Bayer invests in new veterinary research facility

Bayer’s Auckland-based Centre for Innovation and Development (CID) today opened a new research facility, which will play a key part in improving the health of farm and pet animals.

Located at Bayer’s Glenfield site, the facility replaces a smaller laboratory at its Manukau production site.

The new, larger facility, which includes a laboratory, will focus on making veterinary medicines more effective through developing new formulations for the local market and region. It is staffed with an international team of formulation experts, analysts and technicians.

Bayer New Zealand’s head of animal health, Derek Bartlett, says “the facility will make important contributions to improving the health of animals, particularly in the areas of mastitis, reproduction and metabolic health management.

“By improving our research capacity with a new laboratory, we will be able to better meet the growing needs of the animal health market.”

Bayer’s CID head Wayne Leech says improving medicines is an important, but often over-looked, means of improving life on the farm.

“This new laboratory demonstrates Bayer’s commitment to providing veterinary solutions to meet the special needs of New Zealand and regional markets.

“For example, we will be looking at how to make medicines last longer in the animal as well as combining two medicines given to an animal separately into a single dose medicine.

“These are both examples of how improving medicines can make life easier for the veterinarian, farmer and ultimately the animal.”
Attending the opening ceremony were Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce, Bayer ANZ CEO Dr Jackie Applegate and various Bayer global research heads from Europe, including Bayer’s head of global animal health development Dr Douglas Hutchens.

“This new laboratory represents Bayer’s continued commitment to developing veterinary solutions,” says Dr Hutchens. “By expanding the work of the Centre for Innovation and Development, we are investing in innovations that will benefit veterinarians and farmers globally.”

About Bayer New Zealand’s Centre for Innovation and Development
The Centre is made up of 35 specialists, including veterinarians, pharmacists, pharmacologists, analytical chemists, regulatory affairs experts, patent attorneys and statisticians. It has four functional units: Formulation and Development; Regulatory Affairs for New Zealand and Asia Pacific; Intellectual Property and Clinical Studies. Each of these areas is brought together through project management to deliver new or improved products. CID is now seen as a fully integrated part of the Bayer global development team and features regularly in global development initiatives.

About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 18.6 million (2012), is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,300 employees (Dec 31, 2012) and is represented in more than 100 countries. More information at www.healthcare.bayer.com.