I think Bayer gets an appropriate amount of attention for their importance.

Bayer gets such little attention here

Bayer R.I.P

how many were just laid off?

Manufacturing will most definitely need to be off-shored. Innovation will be limited to process and automation improvements as well as a movement toward POC technology. Managing costs will be key

A prediction of one out come of the transition of diagnostics to commodity status:

Don't be surprised to see a major player in diagnostics shut down its American R&D and manufacturing facilities and transfer their function to China. They could even transfer the entire worldwide headquarters from America to China. The entire process could take up to ten years, but the parent is a very patient and deliberate one.

The entire diagnostic industry will soon be following the same path as diabetes.....to commodity land. This industry is now a price sensitive market and those who control their costs will be the winners.

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Sales force jobs in the United Kingdom slashed ! Bayer jay walking into oblivion. Bayer diabetes in UK dead. Reputation of Bayer damaged beyond repair. Senior management cowardly. Message given with conference call and no questions allowed, just passed the buck ! Get out while you can

Cos he was an idiot egomaniac who couldn't lead a strategic vision ...

commodity business now, margins will only get worse.Taxi Orlando

right, Let's see how many they are willing to relocate from TTN to NJ, that will be telling

Bayer went back and forth before with Siemens for a few years before they sold the other part of diagnostics they failed at ... oops, i meant had. Once they have realized they've made a mistake, they will persist at selling off any unit for as long as it takes and at a price that the bean counters can live with.

I agree, it is still on

bs

Just heard possible sale is no longer on the table!

hearing things about panasonic. makes sense if it is them. hope their marketing people are better than we have. ours is useless, never think about how what they do affects us sales staff.

My guess is that he got a better deal than working under J.A, who is truly an ego maniac and does not have the ability to drive a strategic vision or lead an organization. One word " Accountability" and lack thereof. In my humble opinion, the reason the marketing group is in such a chaotic state. Sad really, several products in launch and no one will reap the benifits. Only AG is the winner here!

He needed to go. He obviously didn't make a difference. Non of these people at the top ever made a difference.

Hearing lots of noise around Panasonic now.

Haha. Ames. You're old.

great news! screw Ames

Anyone know why MM really left?

There are two possible outcomes to due diligence: yes, and no. Due diligence requires alot of objectivity and needs to be free of the rah-rah enthusiasm that often builds up as a purchase is just being considered.

Due diligence team: Remember, you are basically dealing with sleazy used car salesmen.

What about the fact that they are doing their due diligence now? Will deal be signed by year end? Is it panasonic?

In Spain are starting to lay off workers and managers

BUT, WHO WILL HAVE INTEREST IN BUY BAYER DIABETES?

cannot understand the surprise of everyone about the sell off of Bayer Diabetes. Has not been that much of a secret here in Germany.
Its almost a done deal and I would know.
Its also not a bad thing. Field based staff should not worry about their positions. It is the head Office staff in all of europe that should be worried. Diabetes has been badley run and marketing is worse than a bad joke. I long for a change of company. I hope it means that I dont have to go running to global every time I want to do something. Sales teams have been negleted for too long. Bring on the change.

i´m working in god old germany as an employe of bayer dc. i´m realy shocked about the situation. so many colleges could lost her jobs.....

I'm sure it is of interest to those who currently work for Bayer's diabetes unit. Bayer probably could care less who they sell to; they just want to maximize the price. Those who will become employees of some new company are concerned and looking to find out anything concrete about their future.

I thought this was fairly well known but perhaps not....This isn't surprising news. This deal was laid out on the table when Siemens first acquired Bayer, there were patent reasons why it didn't happen simultaneously. Once those were rode out by Bayer it was common knowledge that this business would be absorbed as well.

Not some hot rumor or conspiracy like everyone wants to believe is always going on. just business and not even interesting.

You are probably right to some extent about negative cognative feelings. However, I try my hardest to look at data and facts and draw logical conclusions that are consistent with the facts. When data and facts change or new ones come along, I try my best to adjust my conclusions to include the new information as well.

I have been in the industry for quite a while and know many of the key players and quite a few of the upper managers from many companies. I also try to get to know the 'worker bees' too so that I can gain multiple perspectives before making judgments. Some companies in diagnostics are run by people who are really into the business and understand it and its customers needs. Others act as if their company name alone is sufficient to successfully market a product, even when it doesn't meet minimum customer expectations. At best, this latter group will react to what other companies are offering as new or improved products, but that kind of attitude pretty much assures that they will be followers and not leaders.

There are many unique aspects to the diagnostics business. It is one of the few where the real customer (e.g., the patient) rarely is involved directly. There is much regulation, both governmental and industry-self-imposed. Customers can include doctors, lab directors, lab techs, finance people who impact hospitals and labs, etc. and each has their own set of 'requirements'. Instruments often need to do a number of very different tasks (we call them assays) and in this case, the business must develop both the instrument and the assays and be able to look to the future to ensure that the instrument will be able to do assays of the future as well as the present. Its chemistry, engineering (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic in some cases, etc), software, firmware, etc. It's also having a product that can be serviced easily and a service staff to do it rapidly. Unlike a car, which if it doesn't work one day, you can somehow manage ... an analyzer, be it a large lab analyzer or a small glucometer, must work each and every time. Lives depend on these devices whereas a broken car is merely an inconvenience.

The large conglomerate types of companies that have gotten into diagnostics never quite seem to recognize the complexity of the business as well as the simplicity of just meeting customer needs for each and every assay. It's not really rocket science as much as good common sense and experience, both of which companies like Bayer seem to lack. In the specific case of Bayer, they simply took the 'we know better' attitude when it came to listening to the people who had made the companies that they bought a success in the first place. It was this attitude of superiority that was Bayer's biggest downfall.

Remember: Pride cometh before the fall !! (I have no idea who made up that line, but they obviously understood human psychology pretty well.

Don't know if that helps or answers your question.

Wow I typed that last post too fast, lets try that again:

With the info and insight provided, I take it you are involved in the industry. May have negative cognitive feelings towards bayer? You make several good points and I do beleive it was a combination of the last few posts. Just seeing where your fuel comes from for your entry.

with the info and isight provided, I take it you are involved in the industry. May have negative cognotive feelings towards bayer? You make several good points and I do beleive it was a combination of the last few posts. Just seeing where your fuel comes for your entry.

One way to look at the diabetes market is to characterize it as tough, many competitors and many regulations and to say that those factors led to Bayer selling the unit. Another way to look at the business is market share and, as I understand things, Bayer's market share went down considerably from the time they bought Ames/Miles until the presence. Other large companies, notably J&J and Boehringer-Mannheim, later Roche were eating Bayer's lunch and taking market share away from Bayer. Bayer thought that their acquisition of Miles and, later, Technicon would establish them in diagnostics and fit nicely into their pharmaceutical business, but never recognized the huge differences between pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. The constantly refused to listen to the people in the companies they bought who tried to explain these differences. Rather than considering the people who came along with their acquisitions who had a long history of success and knowledge, Bayer took the attitude that 'we know better' and 'we will teach you how to do things'. This arrogance, more than anything else, led to Bayer having no choice but to divest themselves of their various diagnostics units. They sold much of their diagnostics unit to Siemens, who are now making the same mistakes that Bayer made and have performed dismally.

"It is a tough line of business with many competitors and many government regulated areas leading to low margins and unpredictable profit patterns."

Very true. If your going to be successful in the Diabetes business you have to have both feet in. Bayer was never going to risk that much.

Its not that bayer failed in diabetes care. It is a tough line of business with many competitors and many government regulated areas leading to low margins and unpredicatable profit patterns. It doesnt align with other bayer divisions and it is a smart sale. It is unfortunate for those who have put many many years into the business now have uncertain futures.

Bayer Diabetes must be a huge business failure when adult type 2 diabetes cases being at all time highs yet they have to downsize and sell the business.

The same can be said about many talented people in Tarrytown. Bayer not only failed with both businesses, but they left a trail of laid off talented people who were part of reasonably successful business prior to Bayer's involvement.

Pity.

Sad. A lot of good Miles/Ames people were needlessly eliminated in Elkhart.

good news!

Just another part of Bayer's dream of being a big player in diagnostics. They never understood the business and, while they may have sold for more than they paid, their undertaking was basically a failure.

Stick to your knitting, as they say.

commodity business now, margins will only get worse.