Bayer Accelerates Medical Revolution with Over €3.5 Billion Invested in Cell and Gene Therapies

Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) is an important part of Bayer's efforts to achieve medical breakthroughs.Bayer AG’s Global President of Pharmaceuticals, Stefan Oelrich, introduced the company’s investment arm “Leaps by Bayer” during an interview. This division focuses on seeking breakthrough therapies and technologies with the potential to cure or reverse the progression of diseases. BlueRock and AskBio are among its proud investment cases, carrying high expectations.。

AskBio's gene therapy candidate AB-1002 has recently entered Phase II clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single dose of AB-1002 for treating congestive heart failure, which affects approximately 26 million people worldwide. BlueRock released data on its investigational therapy bemdaneprocel (BRT-DA01) after 18 months of treatment in Parkinson’s disease patients. The Phase I clinical trial is still ongoing, with data showing positive trends. These results also support plans to initiate a Phase II clinical study in 2024. Another gene therapy candidate is expected to enter Phase II studies in Parkinson’s disease patients later this year.

"Cell therapy and gene therapy are two of the fastest-growing and most competitive fields in modern medicine,Since 2020, Bayer has invested more than 3.5 billion euros in establishing relevant technical platforms for the research and development of cell and gene therapies.，"Christian Rommel, Member of the Executive Committee of Bayer's Pharmaceuticals Division and Head of Global Research and Development, said"We are excited about the significant progress made in our diverse and leading therapy platforms. We believe that these early-stage projects will bring tangible benefits to patients in the future."

Stefan stated that CGT products still need to overcome significant challenges such as scaling clinical trials, scaling production, cost and quality control, and commercialization before they can progress from clinical research to market availability. To address this, Bayer has brought together its production, development, and commercialization teams to collaboratively explore how to bring CGT to the market as soon as possible. At the same time, other partners, including distributors and healthcare service providers, are also considering ways to ensure patient access.

In China, Bayer is collaborating with Peking University to facilitate the translation of fundamental research findings in key areas such as CGT into new drug development, while accelerating advanced technology research across the drug development value chain. Additionally, Bayer is partnering with Shanghai Pharmaceuticals to introduce the Bayer Co.Lab collaborative innovation platform into China, making it an integral part of Bayer's global new drug incubation network and promoting cutting-edge innovations in fields like CGT.

From early research, to possessing manufacturing capabilities and platforms, and ultimately achieving drug accessibility, Bayer is making countless efforts focused on full-chain investment to accelerate the fulfillment of its promise to bring the benefits of CGT to patients. This will also endogenously generate an inexhaustible evolutionary drive for Bayer's prescription drug business.