Bayer

Bayer is a German life sciences company founded in 1863 in Barmen (now part of Wuppertal), Germany. Its global headquarters are located in Leverkusen, Germany. The company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker BAYN and is a constituent of the DAX index. Bayer operates through three main divisions: Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, and Crop Science.

Bayer's Pharmaceuticals division focuses on prescription medicines, most notably Xarelto (rivaroxaban) — a blood thinner that was one of the company's flagship revenue drivers — and Eylea (aflibercept) for the treatment of eye diseases. The Crop Science division, significantly enlarged after the acquisition of Monsanto, encompasses seeds, herbicides, and agricultural products. The Consumer Health division markets over-the-counter health products including Aspirin and Claritin.

Xarelto is an anticoagulant approved across multiple indications and served as a primary growth engine for the Pharmaceuticals segment. Eylea, commercialized in partnership with Regeneron, is used to treat age-related macular degeneration and other ophthalmic conditions. Within Crop Science, the Roundup and Roundup Ready brands — acquired through the Monsanto deal — have been at the center of extensive litigation over alleged glyphosate-related harms.

Bayer's direct competitors in pharmaceuticals include Novartis, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. In Crop Science, the primary rivals are Syngenta, Corteva, and BASF. The acquisition of Monsanto in 2018 for approximately $63 billion made Bayer one of the largest agricultural companies globally, but also brought thousands of glyphosate-related lawsuits that weighed heavily on the company's market capitalization in subsequent years.

Detailed public information about Bayer's Israeli operations is limited. The company maintains a commercial presence in Israel, primarily focused on marketing pharmaceuticals and Consumer Health products, but I cannot confirm with confidence the specific office locations, local headcount, or whether any R&D function operates in Israel.