Bayer, the German pharmaceutical company, has turned to Credit Suisse First Boston and Goldman Sachs to advise on its joint bid with Reckitt Benckiser, the UK household goodd group, for the €1.7bn-plus drugs business of Swiss rival Roche.

Deutsche Bank has handled most of Bayer's deals over the past year, although CSFB has been a long-standing adviser to Bayer and Goldman Sachs is working on another Bayer deal.