Bayer Biological Products Signs Exclusive Agreement with World Federation of Hemophilia to Fund International Nursing Fellowship Program; Bayer BP Strengthens Its Commitment to the Global Hemophilia Community.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Bayer Biological Products (BP) announced today the launch of the World Federation of Hemophilia's (WFH) International Hemophilia Nursing Fellowship Program, a new fellowship program providing state-of-the-art hemophilia education and training to nurses in developing countries. The program will extend the benefits of WFH's highly successful International Hemophilia Training Center Fellowship program by providing training opportunities for nurses, critically important members of the hemophilia treatment team.

This announcement of the new nursing fellowship program coincides with the 2005 celebration of WFH's World Hemophilia Day on April 17. Consistent with WFH's goal of improving hemophilia care in developing countries, the aim of the WFH International Hemophilia Nursing Fellowship Program is to train nursing professionals from developing countries in the diagnosis and management of hemophilia and related bleeding disorders. Through Bayer BP's exclusive support, the WFH International Hemophilia Nursing Fellowship Program will support three to four nurses annually to travel to one of the 31 WFH-designated International Hemophilia Training Centers (IHTCs) to be paired with a hemophilia nurse to receive clinical and laboratory training.

"Nurses play a critical role in the treatment of hemophilia," said Mark Skinner, president, World Federation of Hemophilia. "Unfortunately, there is a shortage of hemophilia-trained nurses in developing countries, so increasing the number of trained hemophilia nurses is critical to improving the lives of thousands of people living with hemophilia around the world. We are appreciative of the exclusive support we have received from Bayer BP as they expand their commitment to improving care in the global hemophilia community."

Exclusive sponsorship of the WFH International Hemophilia Nursing Fellowship Program is one example of the many ways Bayer BP, through its Kogenate(R) line of products (Kogenate(R) FS/KOGENATE(R) Bayer, Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Formulated with Sucrose), leads the industry in investing in the hemophilia community. Since 2002, the Bayer Hemophilia Awards program has provided approximately $6 million in grants to fund nearly 50 cutting-edge basic and clinical research projects and caregiver education programs. Also, in just the last three years, Bayer BP has donated more than 30 million units of factor VIII products for use by thousands of patients in more than 50 developing countries. In 2003, also in honor of World Hemophilia Day, Bayer BP and the Kogenate(R) brand provided important financial support for a major WFH initiative, the International External Quality Assessment Scheme (IEQAS). IEQAS is a program for improving laboratory diagnosis in hemophilia treatment centers around the world by creating a "universal standard" for laboratory testing.

Bayer BP now has a singular focus on advancing care for the global hemophilia community. "The WFH International Hemophilia Nursing Fellowship Program reflects our company's renewed focus on supporting programs that advance the state of hemophilia care globally," said Michael E. Mathews, vice president, Global Marketing, Bayer Biological Products Division. "Clearly, there are unmet needs, especially in developing countries. As corporate citizens dedicated to helping people living with hemophilia live the lives they choose, Bayer BP and the Kogenate(R) brand will continue to work with WFH to identify and support the initiatives that address those needs."

About Kogenate(R) FS/ KOGENATE(R) Bayer

Kogenate(R) FS/KOGENATE(R) Bayer (Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Formulated with Sucrose), is a recombinant factor VIII treatment for hemophilia A that offers a more convenient administration by utilizing a 2.5 mL diluent, the smallest among available factor VIII products. Kogenate(R) FS/KOGENATE(R) Bayer does not use albumin in its purification or formulation, and includes a solvent/detergent viral inactivation step, thereby further reducing the potential risk of viral transmission. Kogenate(R) FS/KOGENATE(R) Bayer is manufactured at Bayer BP's headquarters and state-of-the-art biotechnology facility in Berkeley, Calif.

About Hemophilia

Approximately 400,000 people around the world have hemophilia. Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder characterized by prolonged or spontaneous bleeding, especially into the muscles, joints, or internal organs. The disease is caused by deficient or defective blood coagulation proteins, known as factor VIII or IX. The most common form of the disease is hemophilia A, or classic hemophilia, in which the clotting factor VIII is either deficient or defective. Hemophilia B is characterized by deficient or defective factor IX.

About Bayer HealthCare AG

Bayer HealthCare AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the health care and medical products industry. In 2004, the Bayer HealthCare subgroup generated sales amounting to some 8.5 billion Euro.

The company combines the global activities of the divisions Animal Health, Biological Products, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care, Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals. Bayer HealthCare employed 35,300 people worldwide in 2004.

Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture innovative products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. The products enhance well-being and quality of life by diagnosing, preventing and treating disease.

Information about Bayer Biological Products Division can be found at www.bayerbiologicals.com.

Forward-looking statements 

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.