Bayer's Blood Thinner Cuts Stroke Risk: A New Breakthrough

Bayer announced on Thursday that its experimental blood thinner has been proven to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence by 26% in late-stage trials, providing fresh impetus to CEO Bill Anderson's turnaround strategy.

The Phase III study, named Oceanic-Stroke, assessed over 12,000 patients by comparing standard antiplatelet therapy combined with Bayer's asundexian against antiplatelet therapy alone. Encouraging data on bleeding risks add to the positive outlook for Bayer, as Anderson works to restructure the company's management to overcome financial hurdles and legal disputes.

The trial's success is seen as a pivotal advancement as Bayer seeks regulatory approval, proving crucial to the company's recovery alongside potential legal victories regarding its Roundup weedkiller. Meanwhile, competitors Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb have not yet published their late-stage results on similar stroke prevention treatments.