Landmark CVBD Prevention Field Study Demonstrates Benefits of Advantix(R) Spot-on Treatment for Dogs

MONHEIM, Germany, July 6, 2010 - The findings of a landmark Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) prevention
field study, published in Veterinary Parasitology today, showed the
remarkable repelling efficacy of Advantix(R) in protecting dogs from ticks
and sand flies and thereby reducing the risk of transmission from the
potentially deadly diseases they spread.

This highly comprehensive study, conducted over two years by the team of
Prof. Domenico Otranto of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Universita
degli Studi di Bari) Italy, with diagnostic support from the team of Dr.
Edward Breitschwerdt at the North Carolina State University, USA, found that
dogs treated regularly with Advantix(R) spot-on had a greater than 90%
reduction in CVBD cases, including a 100% reduction in new cases of
potentially deadly leishmaniosis and a 94.6% decrease in ehrlichiosis.

The study also found that Advantix(R) provided 97.9% protection against
tick infestation, compared to untreated dogs, where 100% were infested at the
peak of the season. The level of protection offered by Advantix(R) was all
the more notable because of the particularly large numbers of ticks and sand
flies and high prevalence of associated diseases like leishmaniosis or
babesiosis in the area of the study.

According to Prof. Otranto, "Our study shows the importance of protecting
dogs with an effective treatment that repels as well as kills parasites like
ticks and sand flies. Despite the high challenge faced by the dogs in our
study, nearly all our treated dogs remained free from ticks throughout most
of the study, and more than 90% remained free from CVBDs for the whole study
time."

"Because we included naive sentinel beagles in the study, we were also
able to model what would happen to dogs travelling to areas where CVBDs are
present. We found that by the end of the study, only the Advantix(R)-treated
beagles remained protected from infection, while 80% of the untreated beagles
were infected with a CVBD. This demonstrates the very real need to protect
dogs that are travelling to endemic areas", continued Prof. Otranto.

The study showed some interesting results with dogs that were positive
with CVBDs when they entered the study. Of these, half of those treated with
Advantix(R) were negative for CVBDs at the end of treatment, compared with
only 13% of untreated dogs. This suggests the potential for natural clearance
of CVBDs if a repellent treatment is used to prevent new transmissions.

This study was extremely comprehensive, studying both indigenous and
introduced naive puppies, monitoring for several CVBDs and working with Dr.
Breitschwerdt's team in the USA to use highly sensitive molecular testing
techniques to ensure optimal diagnostic accuracy. According to Dr.
Breitschwerdt, "This is the most comprehensive study, to my knowledge, ever
conducted testing the efficacy of a repellent ectoparasiticide to prevent the
transmission of a spectrum of CVBDs in young dogs."

"Thanks to this study we can see just how effective a treatment that
repels as well as kills can be. With the increasing risk of CVBDs, I'd urge
all pet owners to speak to their vets about finding the right tick-prevention
strategy for their dog especially when travelling into endemic areas," said
leading parasitology expert, Dr. Luis Cardoso of the University of
Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal.

Sarah Weston, Global Veterinary Services of Bayer Animal Health said "It
is important to realise that with globalisation, climate change and the
increase in pet travel, many more pets now need to be protected from these
diseases that can be potentially fatal for both pets and humans. This study
demonstrates that using Advantix(R) is an effective way to protect pets from
bites of ticks and sand flies, reducing the risk of CVBD transmission.

Bayer Animal Health has been researching in the field of parastitology
over the last 100 years. The company is committed to advancing the scientific
understanding of parasitology by supporting the annual CVBD World Forum and
an online guide that is educating pet owners around the world on the dangers
posed by parasites www.youtube.com/user/parasitesundercover1.

For more information on canine vector-borne diseases and the CVBD World
Forum, please visit www.CVBD.org.

To view the full MMR release, including video interviews with the study
investigator and leading veterinary experts, please click here
(bit.ly/CVBDprevention )

About the study

The study was conducted over two parasite seasons, and ran from March
2008 to October 2009. It looked at two types of dog, puppies indigenous to
the area and naive sentinel beagle puppies.

A total of 111 indigenous dogs were enrolled alongside 20 naive sentinel
beagles. The dogs were randomly assigned in equal numbers to either a treated
group receiving Advantix(R) at 3-weekly intervals for the course of the study
or a control group receiving no treatment.

Please see the video 'Prof Otranto - Study design' for more information
from Prof. Otranto on the study design.

The backgrounder also includes additional information on the study and the
original study paper is available via the full MMR release.

About Bayer HealthCare

Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's
leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry
and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global
activities of the Animal Health, Bayer Schering Pharma, Consumer Care and
Medical Care divisions. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture
products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Find more
information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.

With a turnover of EUR977 million (2009) Bayer HealthCare's Animal Health
Division is one of the world's leading manufacturers of veterinary drugs. The
division manufactures and markets more than 100 different veterinary drugs
and care products for livestock and companion animals.

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Contact: Bayer HealthCare AG, Corporate Communications, 51368 Leverkusen, Germany, Phone +49-214-30-1