Bayer CropScience AG announced a long-term license agreement allowing Bayer to use Plant Health Care's Harpin genes in Brassica seeds, an essential ingredient for vegetable oils. The Harpin genes have been found to increase plants' defense mechanisms against a broad range of pests and diseases, as well as producing some tolerance to salinity. The financial details were not disclosed
Bayer AG agreed to supply generic copies of its best-selling drugs, the Yasmin and Yaz contraceptices, to Barr Pharmaceuticalls for sale and distribution on the U.S. market. The contract comes after a U.S. court ruling that invalidated Bayer's patent on Yasmin. Although Bayer cut its healthcare profit projection as a consequence of the contract, the deal will help the pharmaceutical giant keep generic Yaz off the market until July 2011, more than a year after the patent expiration date. At the same time, Bayer can continue to profit from generic sales of Yasmin, as it will receives a fixed percentage of the revenue from the drug sales from Barr.
