Bayer Offloads Stivarga to Grünenthal in €375 Million Deal as Pipeline Notches Fresh FDA Wins
Published on 09/22/2026 at 05:50 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Bayer has agreed to hand over worldwide rights to its oncology drug Stivarga to fellow German pharmaceutical group Grünenthal, in a transaction worth as much as EUR 375 million to the Leverkusen-based conglomerate. The deal, confirmed today, covers the compound known generically as regorafenib and marks another step in Bayer's drive to slim down its prescription medicines portfolio.
Investors welcomed the move. Bayer shares rose 2.1% to EUR 49.04, extending their advance since the start of the year to 32% as market participants reward the company's gradual progress on operational streamlining and its pharmaceutical pipeline rebuild.
Timing Tied to Patent Cliff
Closing is expected in late 2026 or early 2027. The disposal gives Bayer fresh liquidity ahead of key patent expirations: Stivarga's protection runs out in the European Union in 2029 and in the United States in 2030. By shedding a more mature product, the group frees up resources and tightens its structure within the prescription-drug segment.
For Grünenthal, the acquisition promises a meaningful earnings boost. The buyer expects the deal to add as much as EUR 100 million to EBITDA in its 2027 fiscal year.
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Asian Pricing Pressure Weighed on Sales
The sale follows a softer stretch for the drug. In the first half of 2026, Stivarga revenue fell 18% to EUR 148 million, dragged down in part by state tender awards and procurement procedures in China that squeezed both pricing and volumes.
Regulatory Momentum Builds Elsewhere
While Bayer trims its portfolio, its development arm has been logging wins with regulators. On 9 September, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to sevabertinib, a targeted therapy cleared as a first-line treatment for adults with HER2-mutant locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.
A second boost arrived the previous Friday, when the FDA approved finerenone for a new indication covering chronic kidney disease in patients with type 1 diabetes. Such label expansions shore up the commercial prospects of established compounds and broaden Bayer's future base in chronic disease areas.
Roundup Settlement Awaits Court Approval
Offsetting those operational gains are the long-running US legal battles. Roughly a week ago, Bayer subsidiary Monsanto asked a Missouri court to approve a proposed USD 7.25 billion settlement aimed at resolving around 65,000 claims alleging cancer risks linked to the herbicide Roundup, according to Reuters.
Whether the proposal delivers lasting legal closure hinges on judicial confirmation, and every development in the proceedings is being watched closely by the market.
Despite that overhang, the oncology divestment signals to investors that Bayer is pressing ahead with its structural clean-up well beyond the courtroom.
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