Espicom publishes over 135 reports on companies developing anti-cancer drugs from the largest blue-chip multinational to smaller specialist organisations - and all phases of development from research to launched products.

For each company you can evaluate:
* Summary: At a glance review of agreements, products and R&D pipeline.
* Overview: Background, ownership structure and research techniques they have developed for drug discovery.
* Agreements: Key details of who the company is collaborating with, and on what.
* Product Portfolio: Product monographs, mechanism of action and indications approved and in development.
* R&D Pipeline: Concise summaries of products in research covering status, indication and clinical trials.
* Financials: An analysis of financial performance including P&L, R&D expenditure and funding. Founded in 1863, Bayer is a diversified international chemicals and healthcare company. In recent years, the Bayer Group has been reorganised and its portfolio streamlined to create a new Bayer that is focused on its corporate strengths, its customers and the markets of the future. To help it achieve this goal, Bayer then carried out a strategic realignment in order to concentrate in future on three high-potential, agile subgroups with largely independent operations: HealthCare, CropScience and MaterialScience, supported by three service companies: Bayer Business Services, Bayer Technology Services and Bayer Industry Services.

On 13th September 2004, Bayer stated that it planned to build a global oncology business via the build-up a new US-based global oncology business unit and refocus its US organisation on high-profit specialty and biotech products to form BHC's Specialty Pharmaceuticals business. Under an agreement with Schering-Plough, Bayer will also be compensated to promote certain Schering-Plough cancer products in the US and key European markets for a certain period of time. Bayer's Viadur (leuprolide), for the treatment of prostate cancer, will also be aligned with the Oncology unit. In addition to Oncology products, BHC's Specialty Pharmaceuticals business' portfolio will comprise Kogenate FS for the treatment of haemophilia, and Trasylol, which is used during open-heart surgery.

In addition to oncology, the company's other major therapeutic areas include: infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, central nervous system disorders, respiratory diseases and biological products.

On 12th July 2006, Bayer's public takeover offer for Schering AG was completed. Following expiration of the additional acceptance period, Bayer now has control of 92.4 per cent of the approximately 191 million outstanding Schering shares. Bayer acquired Schering at a price of EUR 86 for each Schering share, representing a total transaction value of approximately EUR 16.5 billion. According to Bayer Management Board Chairman, Werner Wenning, the company is still aiming to acquire the entire stock of Schering. The next step along the road to integrating Schering into the Bayer organisation will be an Extraordinary Stockholders' Meeting of the Berlin company in September. Among the items on the agenda will be the approval of a domination and profit transfer agreement between the companies. In light of the majority stockholding achieved, the Schering business will now be included in Bayer's financial reporting.