January 29, 2025

Leverkusen, January 29, 2025 – Bayer Consumer Health is entering the menopause category for the first time in the UK with the introduction of the new brand, CanesMeno^® – an expertly crafted digital education resource and scientifically-backed product range – to help the estimated 13 million women in the UK who are currently perimenopausal or menopausal (equivalent to a third of the UK’s female population¹) to manage their menopause confidently.

Brought to the market by global life science company and leader and champion in women’s health across its pharmaceutical and consumer health divisions, Bayer’s CanesMeno^® holistic proposition is from the UK’s #1 women’s intimate health brand* Canesten, which has over 40 years of heritage and expertise. The ambition is for a global roll-out by Bayer across other markets in the future.

Menopause is a life stage that every woman will live through, yet there is little education about it, leaving women with limited knowledge and awareness as they reach this life stage. Therefore, perimenopausal and menopausal women can often suffer in silence. Most women associate menopause with ageing, but symptoms can happen before they expect it (2 in 3 perimenopausal women have felt unprepared or blindsided by it and 1 in 2 admitted they didn’t know what was happening to them²), leaving many feeling unprepared and confused.

Bayer recognises that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is not effective when it comes to menopause. Every woman’s experience is different, and signs can vary by menopause stage, in duration, severity and the impact they have³. Therefore, CanesMeno^®’s holistic support offer is designed to help educate and empower women to navigate their own experience and needs with confidence. This includes:

• A free-to-access comprehensive digital service called CanesMeno^® Hub, providing menopause support to those seeking information and guidance on this life stage. With this service, users can track signs of menopause allowing them to log changes, identify patterns, gain their own insights, and feel empowered to have meaningful conversations with their doctor. The resource contains articles and tips from specialists and more, so consumers can better understand and help manage their menopause.
• Science-backed products, including food supplements and a gynecologically tested vaginal dryness gel. While there are at least 48 different physical and emotional signs and symptoms linked to menopause ⁴, some of the most prevalent and severe symptoms among menopausal women include hot flushes, night sweats, difficulty sleeping and lack of energy ⁵.

A 10-minute e-learning Continued Professional Development (CPD) module is now also available on the Bayer Learning e-platform via the CIG group, plus online learning modules are available for Boots pharmacy teams and healthcare specialists via the Boots Tutor.

Driving Meaningful Change
“Menopause is an area that deserves greater visibility and support,” says Daria Costantini, Brand Lead for Canesten at Bayer Consumer Health UK. “We often talk about women ‘suffering’ through menopause because there’s a lack of knowledge to enable us to take charge of our own health. With CanesMeno^®, we aim to educate, destigmatise and offer community support to empower more women to take more control of their health and well-being.”

Mike Knowland, General Manager for Bayer Consumer Health, Northern Europe says: “Under our company mission of ‘Health for All, Hunger for None’ we recognise that all women everywhere need greater support and education around this universal experience. By addressing this need, we are making a big step in our sustainability commitments – enabling more people to practice self-care and driving greater access to reduce health inequities, especially in women’s health.”

The UK launch marks the beginning of our global mission to expand the brand and its initiatives globally. The CanesMeno^® Hub and product range will be available in the UK from 29th January 2025, with products available exclusively to Boots stores and Boots.com. A wider distribution across major supermarkets and grocery stores will continue from early spring 2025. for further information on the range and to access the CanesMeno^® Hub visit https://app.canesmeno.co.uk/

Key Features of the CanesMeno^® Hub

• A 3-minute CanesMeno^® Guide to learn more about menopause signs with downloadable information
• A menopause tracker where you can input your signs of menopause for the tool to create free, private and personalised insights where you can see which signs have had a higher impact and how they may have correlated against your overall mood
• An array of articles where you can learn more about menopause to equip yourself to navigate your experience with greater ease
   

About The CanesMeno^® Product Range

The CanesMeno^® range includes scientifically formulated products:

CanesMeno^® Menopause Care Hydration & Comfort Gel:

• CanesMeno^® Hydration & Comfort Gel contains Ectoin^® to provide fast relief for up to five days, from vaginal atrophy symptoms associated with menopause such as dryness, itching and burning
• This moisturising gel relieves the irritated vaginal lining by supporting the regeneration process and helping to prevent it from becoming further dehydrated. It also maintains pH balance inside the vagina
• Suitable for daily use, CanesMeno^® Hydration & Comfort Gel can be used together with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and is recommended for treatment at the onset of the first symptoms of vaginal atrophy. It helps to reduce pain during sexual intercourse, and is compatible for use with natural latex, polyisoprene and polyurethane condoms.
• For internal vaginal use. Effects based on 100% natural ingredients
• Free from fragrances, dyestuff, mineral oils, alcohol and hormones

CanesMeno^® Menopause Support Multi-Support:

• As you transition through perimenopause and into menopause, you can experience changes in hormone levels, metabolism and bone health. To help with the specific nutritional needs of menopausal women, CanesMeno^® Multi-Support is a daily food supplement containing 17 vitamins and minerals 
• Contains, amongst others, red clover, vitamin B6, to support hormonal regulation, iron and zinc to support normal cognitive function, vitamin B12 and C to contribute to normal energy release and vitamin A, B2 and zinc to support skin health

CanesMeno^® Menopause Support Night:

• To help with the specific nutritional needs of menopausal women, CanesMeno^® Night daily food supplement contains ashwagandha extract, which supports the maintenance of normal sleep
• CanesMeno^® Night also contains hops, vitamin B6 to help support hormonal regulation

Bayer and Women’s Health

At Bayer Consumer Health, we believe that every individual deserves to feel truly empowered on their self-care journey. But even today, misconceptions, taboos and lack of understanding about women’s health are still all too prevalent.

“Bayer has always been a pioneer in women’s health, discovering clotrimazole, the active ingredient in Canesten, more than 40 years ago,” said David Evendon-Challis, Chief Scientific and Marketing Officer. “Yet, despite all the advance in recent decades, a veil of silence still surrounds many aspects of women’s health – perhaps none more so than menopause. Consequently, it is one of the most underserved areas of self-care. Women feel let down by the lack of education resources and effective, scientifically-proven products that address the changes that come with menopause. With the introduction of the CanesMeno Hub and product range, we are responding to those needs by empowering them with the knowledge and options to better manage their menopause.”

Bayer is committed to walking alongside every woman on her health journey - dispelling myths and misconceptions, educating and providing access to solutions that allow women to practice self-care. Our science-led innovations and services support individuals through a journey of discovery and awareness of their bodies, symptoms, and underlying causes. By empowering consumers with knowledge and access, we empower them to help take control of their bodies and make informed choices that enhance their health and well-being.

Bayer UK’s Commitment to Workplace Menopause Support

Bayer is proactively tackling the challenges of menopause care. We aim to drive meaningful change, not only for society at large to improve outcomes for more women globally but also within our own workplace.

As an employer, we also remain committed to supporting our employees through menopause. In 2022, Bayer Plc partnered with independent menopause organisation, Gen M, and signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge, ensuring every employee experiencing menopause receives the support they need. In 2023, the company moved to an enhanced healthcare plan, which includes coverage for menopause diagnostics and treatments upon GP referral. In addition, our partnership with Peppy provides all UK and Ireland employees and their partners access to a digital healthcare app.

Bayer’s initiatives extend to fostering open dialogue and awareness. At the UK office in Reading, we hosted a Menopause Café event, offering a supportive space for individuals to share experiences and gain insights. This was complemented by an in-house manager workshop to address the critical intersection of mental health and menopause.

For more information including images and samples, please contact Reena Bajwa, Head of Media Relations, Bayer Consumer Health UK: reena.bajwa@bayer.com or Inizio Evoke: Bayer_EUR@inizioevoke.com

*IRI unit sales data including Thrush, Bacterial Vaginosis, Cystitis and Vaginal Dryness segments. To verify contact

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

About Canesten
As the UK’s #1 women’s intimate health brand*, for over 40 years, Canesten^® has been helping people around the world understand, treat and prevent their intimate, skin and foot conditions. Today, we offer effective products to help people take their health into their own hands. For more information visit www.canesten.co.uk

* CanesMeno^® Multi-Support is a food supplement, it contains vitamin B6 to support hormonal regulation, iron and zinc to support normal cognitive function & vitamin B5 supports normal mental performance. vitamin B12 & C contribute to normal energy release, vitamin D & manganese help maintain strong bones, vitamins A, B2, & zinc contribute to normal skin health CanesMeno Night is a food supplement, it contains vitamins B6 to support hormonal regulation and ashwagandha extract to support the maintenance of normal sleep. CanesMeno Hydration and Comfort Gel is a medical device.

Find more information at www.bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer 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 Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

¹ NHS England. Menopause in the workplace. Webpage. Available at: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/safety-and-innovation/menopause-in-the-workplace/. Last accessed January 2025.

² GenM's Invisibility Report: https://gen-m.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/106847-Gen-M-Invisibility-Report-082.pdf [Last accessed January 2025]

³ Women’s Health Concern. The Menopause Factsheet. 2022. Available at: https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/15-WHC-FACTSHEET-The-Menopause-NOV2022-B.pdf. Last accessed January 2025.

⁴ sanoMidLife. The 48 symptoms of menopause. Web article. Available at: https://www.sanomidlife.com/the-48-symptoms-of-menopause/. Last accessed November 2024.

⁵ Canesten study by Truth, 2020: Menopause Sizing Opportunity. Data on file