Bayer HealthCare to broaden alliance with German Cancer Research Centre
Will work in a joint immunotherapy research laboratory at the National Centre for Tumour Diseases
Bayer HealthCare is to extend its cancer research alliance with the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) by also focusing activities on immunotherapy.
For the first time, scientists from the two organisations will work together in a laboratory at the National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg. This will accommodate up to 12 staff, and the first projects are expected to start in the middle of the year. The partners will jointly invest up to €3m each year under the expanded alliance.
‘We are looking forward to interlinking our collaboration with the German Cancer Research Centre more closely to develop new treatment options in the field of immunotherapy for patients suffering from cancer,’ said Professor Andreas Busch, Member of the Executive Committee of Bayer HealthCare and Head of Global Drug Discovery.
Professor Otmar Wiestler, Chairman of DKFZ’s Management Board, added: ‘The German Cancer Research Centre’s excellent expertise in basic research in oncology and Bayer’s many years of experience in the development of new therapeutic options complement each other perfectly. Within the next five years, we aim to identify at least two new drug candidates in the field of cancer immunotherapy and to develop them jointly up to the start of clinical trials.’
The rights to the research findings will be shared equally between the partners.
The goal of one of our joint projects is to look for immunosuppressive molecules on the surface of tumour cells
‘The goal of one of our joint projects is to look for immunosuppressive molecules on the surface of tumour cells,’ explained Professor Philipp Beckhove, Head of Translational Immunology at DKFZ. ‘In a next step we want to block them with antibodies and thereby activate the specific immune response against the tumour cells.’
He said the new joint laboratory allows DKFZ to work closely with colleagues from Bayer, which will support the faster translation of concepts from the lab into clinical trials.
The partners have already been collaborating for four years, initiating 22 projects. Some have already reached important milestones and moved on to compound screening for new potential drug candidates.
Since 2008 the partners have invested more than €10m in their ongoing joint research.
