Focus

Research excellence for the future

Bayer researchers nominated for German President’s 2009 “Innovation Oscar”

Bayer employees Astrid Hübner and Michael Czarnetzki examine new test compounds.

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Bayer employees Astrid Hübner and Michael Czarnetzki examine new test compounds.

High honors for three Bayer researchers: Dr. Frank Misselwitz, Dr. Elisabeth Perzborn and Dr. Dagmar Kubitza have been nominated for the 2009 German Future Prize in recognition of their development of the novel anticoagulant Xarelto®. The prestigious award is presented once a year by German President Horst Köhler at a ceremony in Berlin. This year’s event will take place on December 2.

The nominees – along with two other teams – were selected by an expert jury from numerous distinguished recommendations. The three Bayer researchers and their teams developed a new active ingredient for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism: rivaroxaban. The German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) nominated them for the prize to honor this achievement.

“The nomination for the 2009 German Future Prize is a high commendation that fills us all with pride,” said Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, the member of the Bayer AG Board of Management responsible for innovation, technology and the environment. “Our Bayer team has shown that excellent research is the basis of our country’s innovative strength and competitiveness.”

Bayer researchers Dr. Dagmar Kubitza (left), Dr. Frank Misselwitz and Dr. Elisabeth Perzborn have been nominated for the German Future Prize.

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Bayer researchers Dr. Dagmar Kubitza (left), Dr. Frank Misselwitz and Dr. Elisabeth Perzborn have been nominated for the German Future Prize.

Rivaroxaban is an anticoagulant with a novel mechanism of action. It selectively targets a pivotal stage in the blood clotting process and inhibits the activity of the enzyme Factor Xa, which plays a key role in the development of thrombosis. Rivaroxaban offers patients and doctors major advantages over the current standard therapies. Studies have shown the superior efficacy of rivaroxaban in preventing venous thromboembolism following elective hip and knee replacement surgery in adult patients. Rivaroxaban is administered in tablet form and does not have to be injected like the current standard therapies.

Thromboembolism is a serious condition affecting millions of people every year – often with a fatal outcome. In the western world, venous thromboembolism kills more than twice as many people as breast cancer, prostate cancer, HIV/Aids and road traffic accidents combined.

Lukas Famula (left) and Christoph Bonk of Bayer Schering Pharma at the solids plant in Leverkusen.

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Lukas Famula (left) and Christoph Bonk of Bayer Schering Pharma at the solids plant in Leverkusen.

Rivaroxaban was invented in Bayer’s laboratories in Wuppertal, Germany, and is being jointly developed by Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. The active ingredient is approved in the European Union under the brand name Xarelto® for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in adult patients undergoing elective hip or knee replacement surgery. Approvals have also been granted in many other countries including Australia, China, Canada, Mexico and Singapore. To date, Xarelto® has been launched by Bayer HealthCare in more than 55 countries.

The extensive clinical trial program supporting rivaroxaban makes it the most studied oral direct Factor Xa inhibitor in the world today. More than 65,000 patients are expected to be enrolled into the rivaroxaban clinical development program, which will evaluate the product in the prevention and treatment of a broad range of acute and chronic blood-clotting disorders, including venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment, stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation, secondary prevention of acute coronary syndrome, and VTE prevention in hospitalized, medically ill patients.