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Strategies to fight cancer

Bayer employees Stefan Stargard and Antje Stratmann examine cell cultures under a microscope.

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Bayer employees Stefan Stargard and Antje Stratmann examine cell cultures under a microscope.

Bayer and the German Cancer Research Center have agreed to form a strategic research alliance to further intensify tumor diagnosis and therapy. The collaboration is aimed at enabling more rapid exploitation of research findings for the development of new cancer drugs and improved evaluation of innovative therapeutic approaches to tumor diseases. Each partner will invest a total of €1.75 million in the joint cancer research.

In the field of preclinical cancer research, Bayer Schering Pharma has established a collaboration with the National University of Singapore. Specifically, the alliance aims to profile oncology drugs in Asian populations, identify new biomarkers and investigate novel tumor models with high relevance for the clinical situation.

Bayer also plans further partnerships with Singapore-based universities, hospitals, research institutes and companies, corresponding to an investment of roughly €10 million.

Bayer Schering Pharma and Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Japan, have signed a licensing agreement in the area of tumor diagnostics concerning the use of novel substances for molecular imaging in oncology. Under the agreement, Bayer Schering Pharma acquires exclusive worldwide rights for the research, development and commercialization of a group of molecules that specifically bind to malignant tumor cells. Such tracers have the potential to significantly improve the diagnosis of a variety of cancers.