Forschung bei Bayer
Research & Innovation

Research at Bayer HealthCare

Research and development at Bayer HealthCare focus on identifying and developing new active substances to treat diseases with a high unmet medical need. In 2010 Bayer HealthCare, with R&D spending of €2.1 billion, accounted for some 68 percent of all R&D expenditures by the Bayer Group.
The division Pharmaceuticals carries out research and product development mainly in the fields of Cardiology and Hematology, Oncology, Women’s Healthcare and Diagnostic Imaging. Topical examples of the results of pharmaceutical research are:

Examples of new active ingredients from Pharmaceuticals research:

Riociguat
 

Riociguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator developed for people with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is a promising treatment option. This new compound has the potential to become a new treatment option for people with PH. The oral agent stimulates the sGC directly and independently from nitrogen oxide (NO), enhancing the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). A second messenger, which expands blood vessels, acts as an antihypertensive and conveys tissue protecting effects. Additionally, it enables the sGC to react more sensitively to the effect of the body’s own NO. Up until now there have been no therapies available with this innovative mode of action.
 
To date, clinical studies indicate a strong safety profile for this sGC stimulator – recently concluded Phase II studies showed encouraging results. In the study, 75 patients suffering from chronic thrombembolic hypertension (CETPH) or PAH used riociguat three times a day for a duration of 12 weeks. The drug was well tolerated and showed a high safety profile. Phase III trials of riociguat in these indications started end of 2008. Furthermore, the potential of riociguat is being investigated also to treat other forms of PH in Phase II studies.

Fact sheets: Bayer HealthCare development projects

VEGF
Trap-Eye

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a naturally occurring protein in the body whose normal role is to trigger formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) to support the growth of the body's tissues and organs. It has also been associated with the abnormal growth and fragility of new blood vessels in the eye, which lead to the development of wet AMD. The VEGF Trap-Eye is a fully human, soluble VEGF receptor fusion protein that binds all forms of VEGF-A along with the related placental growth factor (PlGF). VEGF Trap-Eye is a specific and highly potent blocker of these growth factors. Blockade of VEGF, which can prevent abnormal blood vessel formation and vascular leak, has proven beneficial in the treatment of wet AMD.
 
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of acquired blindness. Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry (nonexudative) or wet (exudative). In wet AMD, new blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid. This leakage causes disruption and dysfunction of the retina creating blind spots in central vision, and it can account for blindness in wet AMD patients. Wet AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 65 in the U.S. and Europe.
 
Regeneron and Bayer HealthCare initiated a Phase III global development program for VEGF Trap-Eye in wet AMD in August 2007. The companies are collaborating on the global development of VEGF Trap-Eye for the treatment of wet AMD, diabetic eye diseases, and other eye diseases and disorders.

Fact sheets: Bayer HealthCare development projects

Rivaroxaban
(Xarelto™)

Blood clotting is a vital process of the body helping to close wounds. However, under certain circumstances, this process can cause severe to life-threatening diseases – so called thromboses.
 
An ideal anticoagulant should combine the following advantages: an oral administration, a predictable profile, a wide therapeutic window, a fixed dose without the need for routine coagulation monitoring, as well as no food or drug interactions. Rivaroxaban specifically inhibits Factor Xa in the coagulation system, thereby controlling the generation of thrombin, an enzyme that facilitates clotting. 
 
Rivaroxaban currently is the most extensively studied oral factor-Xa-inhibitor in clinical development. The clinical trial program will evaluate the product in the prevention and treatment of a broad range of acute and chronic blood-clotting disorders and is expected to enroll more than 65,000 patients. In September 2008, rivaroxaban, administered as one tablet, once-daily, was approved in the EU under the brand name Xarelto™ for the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in adult patients after elective hip and knee replacement. Today, it is approved in this indication in more than 80 countries. In a large study program in this indication, rivaroxaban demonstrated higher efficacy than the current standard therapy, while maintaining a similar safety profile. It does not require routine coagulation monitoring. Furthermore, because of its oral administration and fixed dosage, treatment could be facilitated for both patients and doctors. Therefore, rivaroxaban could contribute to improve patients’ quality of life and has the potential to save lives..
 
In December 2009 the “Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2009” of the German President has been awarded to an R & D team from Bayer for the development of the novel oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban.

Fact sheets: Bayer HealthCare development projects

Sorafenib
(Nexavar™)

Sorafinib targets both the tumor cell and tumor vasculature. In preclinical studies, sorafenib has been shown to target members of two classes of kinases known to be involved in both cell proliferation (growth) and angiogenesis (blood supply) – two important processes that enable cancer growth. These kinases included Raf kinase, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, VEGFR-3, PDGFR-B, KIT, FLT-3 and RET.
 
Nexavar™ is currently approved in more than 80 countries for liver cancer and in more than 90 countries for the treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer. In Europe, Nexavar™ is approved for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have failed prior interferon-alpha or interleukin-2 based therapy or are considered unsuitable for such therapy. Nexavar™ is also being evaluated by the companies, international study groups, government agencies and individual investigators as a single agent or combination treatment in a wide range of cancers, including lung cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. 

Fact sheets: Bayer HealthCare development projects

Florbetaben
 

The positron emission tomography (PET) supports the practitioner to diagnose or exclude a variety of diseases. Disease-specific biologic processes can be visualized by PET on a molecular basis. The sugar molecule tagged with radioactive fluorine (F18-FDG) is an established PET-tracer and is used as a source of energy in the cell. During decay positrons are emitted with which the distribution of the sugar in the tissue can be analysed. Thereby, enhanced metabolic processes, e.g. in tumor cells, can be visualized. Disadvantage: Also inflamed tissue accumulates the tagged sugar. 
 
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals is already pursuing various promising approaches in molecular imaging. The company’s main focus of research is the diagnosis of neurodegenerative, oncological and cardiovascular diseases.
 
Since November 2009 the most advanced project, Florbetaben, is in phase III of clinical development. Florbetaben could offer the first possibility to support an early detection of Alzheimer’s disease with an in-vivo imaging method. The substance tagged with fluorine binds to amyloid beta, an accumulation of protein in the brain causally related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Fact sheets: Bayer HealthCare development projects

Extensive information on research and development at Bayer HealthCare:

Animal Health

Research and development activities in the Animal Health Division focus on antibiotics, parasiticides and substances to treat non-infectious diseases in animals. » more

Consumer Care

Research and development activities in the Consumer Care Division are aimed at identifying, developing and commercializing non-prescription products. » more

Medical Care

The research and development activities of our Medical Care Division focus on blood glucose monitoring and the continuing development of medical equipment used in the diagnosis or treatment of various diseases. We are also investing to expand further segments such as medical data management systems. » more

Pharmaceuticals

The research and development activities of Pharmaceuticals are focused on the identification and development of new active substances for diseases with a high medical need. » more

Further information on research at Bayer HealthCare can be found in our research scientific magazine:

http://www.bayer.com/en/bayer-healthcare.aspx

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Last updated: February 6, 2012

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