What are we
looking for?
To foster the translation of ideas into innovation we are looking for novel drug targets as a basis for the development of new therapeutic approaches.
In addition, we are also interested in disease-related biomarkers in the therapeutic fields mentioned below.
With this initiative, Bayer HealthCare aims to encourage research on novel targets in areas of mutual interest. By combining expertise from industry and academia, we intend to accelerate the transition from basic research to new promising treatment options.
We are interested in novel targets and disease-related biomarkers in the fields of
Bayer HealthCare's definition of a drug target:
We define a "druggable" target as a nucleic acid or a protein (e.g. an enzyme, a receptor) whose activity can be modified by a drug. The drug can be a small-molecular-weight chemical compound or a biological, such as an antibody or a recombinant protein. The target should have been shown to be effective/mechanistically involved in the disease by relevant in vitro or in vivo models.
The current call for proposals is limited to the above-mentioned indications, treatment paradigms and approaches (small-molecular-weight compounds, antibodies, recombinant proteins). In this call we will not fund proposals with approaches outside the above-mentioned areas, e.g. in gene or cell therapy, vaccination or unspecific approaches without defined molecular targets.
Bayer HealthCare’s definition of a disease-related biomarker:
A disease-related biomarker might be a protein, a nucleic acid or a metabolite that can be measured in biological fluids, tissue or isolated cells for the diagnosis, monitoring, prognosis or stratification of patients. Information generated by such biomarkers may enable intervention at an earlier and potentially more curable stage of the disease than under usual clinical diagnostic conditions or may allow the monitoring of a therapeutic action on disease progression as opposed/or in addition to the classical signs and symptoms. Through the incorporation of appropriately validated biomarkers, one can expect better clinical study designs, in more precisely defined patient populations.
With this initiative, Bayer HealthCare aims to encourage research on novel targets in areas of mutual interest. By combining expertise from industry and academia, we intend to accelerate the transition from basic research to new promising treatment options.
We are interested in novel targets and disease-related biomarkers in the fields of
- Oncology - Focus on anti-proliferative, survival signaling, transcription and chromatin modulation, cell cycle regulation, tumor metabolism, hypoxia, immunotherapy and antibody-drug conjugates.
- Gynecology - Focus on novel treatment options for endometriosis (incl. adenomyosis uteri/endometriosis interna) and uterine fibroids (uterine leiomyoma).
- Cardiology - Focus on novel approaches to the care of chronic and/or acute pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, acute lung injury/adult respiratory distress syndrome, cardiorenal syndrome and chronic kidney diseases.
- Hematology - Focus on hemophelia, anemia and thrombocytopenia.
Bayer HealthCare's definition of a drug target:
We define a "druggable" target as a nucleic acid or a protein (e.g. an enzyme, a receptor) whose activity can be modified by a drug. The drug can be a small-molecular-weight chemical compound or a biological, such as an antibody or a recombinant protein. The target should have been shown to be effective/mechanistically involved in the disease by relevant in vitro or in vivo models.
The current call for proposals is limited to the above-mentioned indications, treatment paradigms and approaches (small-molecular-weight compounds, antibodies, recombinant proteins). In this call we will not fund proposals with approaches outside the above-mentioned areas, e.g. in gene or cell therapy, vaccination or unspecific approaches without defined molecular targets.
Bayer HealthCare’s definition of a disease-related biomarker:
A disease-related biomarker might be a protein, a nucleic acid or a metabolite that can be measured in biological fluids, tissue or isolated cells for the diagnosis, monitoring, prognosis or stratification of patients. Information generated by such biomarkers may enable intervention at an earlier and potentially more curable stage of the disease than under usual clinical diagnostic conditions or may allow the monitoring of a therapeutic action on disease progression as opposed/or in addition to the classical signs and symptoms. Through the incorporation of appropriately validated biomarkers, one can expect better clinical study designs, in more precisely defined patient populations.