Founded by Ernst Schering in the year 1851 with headquarters situated at Berlin-Wedding, Germany and incorporated during 1871, Schering AG was the research-oriented pharmaceutical company that later amalgamated with Bayer during December 2006, the company then was renamed as Bayer Schering Pharma AG. The company has over 26,000 employees working in around 140 subsidiaries across the world. As per the available statistics, the company’s gross revenue was around € 5 billion in the year 2003.   

 

Schering AG mainly concentrated on the business segments covering gynecology, andrology and oncology. The most known brands of Schering are perhaps from the segment of combined oral contraceptive pills. The company was also engaged in some specialized therapeutics, diagnostic devices and nuclear medications. The biggest of its German manufacturing plant is situated at Bergkamen in Germany. Schering was using the brand named Berlex Laboratories in the United States. 

 

Recently on 17^th of February this year, 2007, the company has publicly made the declaration that nearly 1,000 jobs would be cut through voluntary retirement from its operations at Berlin plant with immediate effect until March 2008.

 

The major popular product line of Schering include various sectors such as: Gynecology & Andrology division offering contraceptives, menopause management, gynecological therapy and andrology; Diagnostic Imaging like X-ray contrast media, contrast media for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-MRI, application technologies for contrast media; Specialized therapeutics like Central Nervous System-CNS and Oncology like Hematology and Solid Tumors.

 

The recognized brands of Bayer Schering Pharma AG include: Betaferon, Betaseron, Yasmin, YAZ, Yasminelle, Kogenate, Adalat, Cipro, Ciprobay, Avalox, Avelox, Magnevist, Levitra, Glucobay and Mirena.