Latest Data Confirm Imidacloprid Remains Highly Efficacious After More Than a Decade of use

MONHEIM, Germany, December 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Publication From International Experts Demonstrates Fleas Worldwide Continue to be Highly Susceptible to Imidacloprid

In a study published online last week in Medical and Veterinary Entomology, international experts reported the latest data on flea susceptibility to imidacloprid, revealing that after more than a decade of widespread use around the world, there is no evidence of resistance to this invaluable treatment.

The study looked at data compiled between 2002 and 2009 by the International Flea Susceptibility Monitoring (FSM) programme from monitoring centres in Australia, Germany, France, UK and USA. The data showed that, of the more than one thousand samples tested over the past eight years, all were confirmed to be susceptible to imidacloprid.

"These results are great news for veterinarians and pet owners alike," said Dr Byron Blagburn, Distinguished University Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, USA. "They show that imidacloprid, one of the most widely used active ingredients for flea control in pets, remains as effective against fleas now as it was when it was first launched."

Imidacloprid is the key active ingredient in Advantage(R) and related products developed for the effective control of fleas and other parasites in companion animals.

The International FSM programme is the first and only monitoring initiative in the field of companion animal parasites. The FSM initiative includes a group of internationally renowned, independent researchers who work together with Bayer Animal Health to monitor the susceptibility of fleas to imidacloprid.

"In order to prevent resistance to treatments such as imidacloprid, careful and coordinated monitoring is essential in order to detect as early as possible any potential shifts in susceptibility. The FSM programme is unique in terms of geographical scale and duration. It is an excellent example of a pharmaceutical company collaborating with academic organisations to ensure the efficacy and safety of its products," said Ian Denholm, Principal Scientist, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK.

Bayer Animal Health supported the initiation of the FSM, in partnership with an international panel of experts, in order to monitor the susceptibility of flea populations to imidacloprid, the active ingredient of Advantage(R). "We are delighted to see that, once again, the data from the FSM programme show that veterinary professionals and pet owners can continue to trust Advantage(R) to provide effective, reliable flea control for companion animals," said Sarah Weston, Global Veterinary Services Manager at Bayer Animal Health.

About the Flea Susceptibility Monitoring (FSM) program

The FSM is a large-scale international program based on a monitoring methodology which utilises flea eggs collected from the field in the US, Germany, UK, France and Australia. Egg collection is carried out by a network of veterinarians and the samples analysed in four investigating laboratories based in three countries. The FSM was set up in 1999 and to date has not detected any reduced susceptibility to imidacloprid. A dedicated team of 15 people including independent experts in veterinary parasitology, entomology and molecular biology, in addition to Bayer personnel, work together to manage the FSM program.

About Bayer HealthCare

The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of more than EUR 15.9 billion (2009), 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 and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 53.400 employees and is represented in more than 100 countries.

Find more information at http://www.bayerhealthcare.com.

With a turnover of EUR977 million (2009) Bayer HealthCare's Animal Health Division is one of the world's leading manufacturers of veterinary drugs. The division manufactures and markets more than 100 different veterinary drugs and care products for livestock and companion animals.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our annual and interim reports to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to confirm them to future events or developments.

    Contact:

    Kathrin Statz, +49-2173-384019
    [email protected]

SOURCE Bayer HealthCare