- Bayer will invest more than 1.3 billion euros in its impact investing arm, Bayer's Leap Program, over the next three years
- Focus on leading technology platforms, such as cell and gene therapies, to provide solutions for patients whose medical needs are not met
- Bayer will outline how its innovations are helping farmers ensure food security and the process of reducing carbon emissions in agriculture
Leverkusen, Germany, April 2, 2022 / PRNewswire / -- On April 1, 2022, Bayer hosted its inaugural Breakthrough Innovation Forum, which focuses on the long-term opportunities that are applying emerging technologies to healthcare and agricultural technology. Following bayer's recent announcement of its short- and medium-term R&D pipeline by Bayer's Prescription Drugs and Crops Sciences division, the forum further shared Bayer's breakthrough innovations in the life sciences sector. Renowned experts, Bayer executives and CEOs of Bayer Leap companies demonstrate how the coming wave of innovation will bring new opportunities for the next generation of healthcare and the delivery of more sustainable, less resource-intensive agricultural solutions. At the event, Bayer also announced that it will increase its investment in the impact investment department of Bayer's "Leap Program" by 1.3 billion euros by the end of 2024.
"We are at the dawn of a new era of innovation in the life sciences," says Werner Baumann, Chairman of the Bayer Group Management Committee. "From providing answers to incurable diseases, to providing people with disease prevention tools to lead healthier, better and longer lives, to increasing agricultural output and significantly reducing inputs and respecting the planet's boundaries, humanity's ability to address some of the major challenges it faces is rapidly improving, especially thanks to the accelerated convergence and impetus of biology, chemistry, advanced computing, data analytics and artificial intelligence." As a leading company in health and nutrition, Bayer is taking its efforts to become an enabler of this new era of innovation. Our accelerated investment in partners and internal innovation is key to achieving this goal. ”
Bayer" Leap Program" To Dealing with what humanity is facing heavy Big challengeBayer's Leap Program is dedicated to addressing ten major challenges facing humanity through a unique approach, such as curing cancer or reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. "Over the past seven years, we have invested more than €1.3 billion in our portfolio of more than 50 companies – all of which aim to change the core paradigm of health and agriculture," says Jürgen Eckhardt, head of Bayer's Leap Program. "As Bayer invests more in leaps and bounds in the coming years, we will be able to continue on the path to success, funding the smartest innovators to develop solutions that truly make a difference for people and the planet." Leap has begun investing in a number of joint ventures – such as JoynBio, Unfold and former portfolio company BlueRock Therapeutics (now wholly owned by Bayer) – and has successfully led several investment rounds. Another example is Recursion, an artificial intelligence company focused on developing new drugs to treat pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic diseases, which went public in April 2021. Bayer's Breakthrough Innovation Forum invited CEOs of Leap Portfolio companies Cellino, Andes and Ukko to share their mission and technical insights in healthcare and agritech.
at medical Health and agriculture technology field implement Breakthrough innovationThe event also provides examples of Bayer's concrete work to change the paradigm of life sciences.
In healthcare, this current era of innovation is expected to significantly enrich the technology toolbox, enabling scientists around the world to address highly unmet medical needs. "The convergence of biology, chemistry and data is fundamentally changing our understanding of health, disease and treatment. Breakthrough innovations driven by new technologies have enabled us not only to treat the symptoms, but also to stop or reverse disease progression, and to commit to providing patients with truly transformative treatment options," said Stefan Oelrich, member of the Bayer Group Management Board and global president of Bayer's Prescription Drugs division. Bayer is investing heavily in innovative areas of biomedicine, especially cell and gene therapy. Over the past three years, Bayer has invested more than €2.5 billion in cell and gene therapy platforms, including the acquisition of BlueRock Therapeutics and Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio). In addition, Bayer is leveraging its strengths with Atara Biotherapeutics and Mammoth Biosciences to drive innovation in strategic collaborations. Bayer's innovative product pipeline is already benefiting from a strong portfolio of preclinical and mid-clinical cell and gene therapy products, with eight programs at different stages of clinical development covering therapeutic areas where medical needs are not met, such as leading programs in Parkinson's disease, Pompeii disease and congestive heart failure. Bayer has also significantly enhanced its drug development capabilities with the acquisition of Vividion Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company that leverages new discovery technologies to unlock high-value, traditionally unprofessional targets. Bayer also has a large stake in the personalized nutrition company Care/of, and has a promising cooperation in the field of healthy aging, helping Bayer to tap the potential of precision health in the field of health consumer goods.
In agricultural sciences, Bayer is harnessing the power of emerging technologies to build sustainable, resilient food systems that help growers around the world increase food production with fewer resources while reducing carbon emissions and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. "Bayer's annual R&D investment in crop science is unmatched in the industry, which creates for us a strong innovation pipeline covering seed and trait technologies, crop protection and digital solutions, with peak sales of €30 billion over the next 20 years," said Rodrigo Santos, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and President of Bayer CropScience. Based on RNAi (Ribonucleic Acid Interference) technology, Bayer recently launched the first new biotech control trait for maize rootworms, enabling farmers to control pests that cause about €1 billion in crop losses each year while reducing the need for crop protection. Bayer also plans to introduce a new dwarf corn variety to the market in 2023. As part of Bayer's Smart Maize System, the maize variety is able to withstand the extreme conditions brought about by climate change, thereby reducing the risk of crop loss and contributing to food security. With an unparalleled digital agriculture platform, Bayer is the leading force in reducing carbon emissions in agriculture. The Bayer Carbon Initiative encourages farmers to adopt climate-smart measures, such as no-till or cover crops. In addition, Bayer uses next-generation technologies to quantify and track the impact of these practices, highlighting Bayer's pioneering role and unique position in advancing the digitalization of the food, feed, fuel and fibre value chains.