SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE TO

(Rule 14d-100)
Tender Offer Statement under Section 14(d)(1) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934

Schering AG

Dritte BV GmbH
Bayer Aktiengesellschaft

Ordinary Shares,
no par value
(Title of Class of Securities)
DE0007172009
(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

American Depositary Shares
(each representing one Ordinary Share)
(Title of Class of Securities)
806585204
(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

Transaction Valuation* N/A		Amount of Filing Fee N/A

 

 

o		Check the box if any part of the filing fee is offset as provided by Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing with which the offsetting fee was previously paid. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

Amount Previously Paid:		Filing Party:
Form or Registration No.:		Date Filed:

ý		Check the box if the filing relates solely to preliminary communications made before the commencement of a tender offer.
Check the appropriate boxes below to designate any transaction to which the statement relates:
ý		third-party tender offer subject to Rule 14d-1.
o		issuer tender offer subject to Rule 13e-4.
o		going-private transaction subject to Rule 13e-3.
o		amendment to Schedule 13D under Rule 13d-2.

Check the following box if the filing is a final amendment reporting the results of the tender offer: o

This is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares or American depositary shares of Schering AG. At the time of commencement of the mandatory compensation offer, Dritte BV GmbH will file a tender offer statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with respect to the mandatory compensation offer and Schering AG will file a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the mandatory compensation offer.
Investors and holders of shares and American depositary shares of Schering AG are strongly advised to read the tender offer statement and other relevant documents regarding the mandatory compensation offer filed with the SEC when they become available because they will contain important information. Investors and holders of shares and American depositary shares of Schering AG will be able to receive these documents when they become available free of charge at the SEC’s web site (http://www.sec.gov), or at the web site http://www.bayer.de.

This document does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. No such securities have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no such securities may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of securities to be made in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus that contains detailed information about the issuer, its management and its financial statements.

Bayer AG intends to apply for exemptive relief from the provisions of Rule 14e-5 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, permitting it (or Dritte BV GmbH or certain of its other affiliates or financial institutions on its behalf) to make purchases of shares of Schering AG outside of the mandatory compensation offer from and after the public announcement of the offer, subject to certain conditions. If such exemptive relief is granted then, to the extent permissible under applicable securities laws and in accordance with normal German market practice, Bayer AG, Dritte BV GmbH or its nominees or its brokers (acting as agents) and affiliates of any of them may from time to time before and during the mandatory compensation offer make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, shares of Schering AG, other than pursuant to the mandatory compensation offer. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. Any information about such purchases will be disclosed as required by applicable securities laws.

This announcement contains certain 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 reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and our reports filed with the SEC (incl. on Form 20-F). Bayer AG and Dritte BV GmbH do not assume any liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Exhibit List		Description
99.1		Press Release, dated July 26, 2006.