Bayer nabs new dealmaker - but after Monsanto, is there enough cash?

Bayer has hired Johnson & Johnson’s former business development chief Marianne De Backer PhD as its new head of business development and licensing of its pharma division. In short De Backer, who will be based in California, is charged with helping the German pharma make deals. Or, as the pharma puts it: “lead Bayer's external pharmaceutical growth strategy and activities globally in all key areas of pharmaceutical innovation and alliance management.” Bayer has had an interesting few years with its R&D, pending a series of deals whilst also make cuts and reorganizations across its research. Late last year, Bayer comprehensively restructured its pharmaceutical R&D and consumer health operations, aimed it said at refocusing assets to its core life science businesses over the coming years. This included the loss of about 900 of its 8,000 R&D positions, out of a total reduction of 12,000 jobs across the company. That’s in addition to 350 employees connected to Bayer’s factor VIII facility in Wuppertal, Germany, which it is closing due to increasing competition in the hemophilia treatment market. Instead, the company will move all its recombinant factor VIII production to a facility in Berkeley, California (where, coincidentally, De Backer will be based).