Author: pr-moritz
Last saved by: Roland Birkhoff
Company: Bayer
Document comments: V-2024-03-05

Not intended for UK Media

Bayer and Iambic collaborate to advance drug discovery with AI
•	Collaboration focuses on small molecule discovery
•	Bayer to leverage Iambic’s AI platform to address hard-to-drug targets
•	Collaboration will strengthen Bayer’s research and development portfolio by harnessing AI to accelerate drug discovery

Berlin, Germany and San Diego, USA, June 22, 2026 – Bayer and Iambic Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage life science and technology company developing novel medicines using its AI-driven platform, today announced a drug discovery collaboration in which Bayer will discover new medicines using Iambic’s AI-driven platform. The collaboration is focused on small molecule discovery.

The collaboration will leverage Iambic’s AI-driven drug discovery platform, including its flagship AI technologies, Enchant & NeuralPLexer, to identify novel drug entry points and differentiated molecules to address otherwise hard-to-drug targets that will enhance Bayer’s early portfolio. 

“This collaboration exemplifies our shared ambition to harness AI as a strategic driver of innovation in drug discovery and our focus on building high-impact collaborations that translate cutting-edge technology into patient value.” said Juergen Eckhardt, M.D., Head of Business Development and Licensing at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. “By collaborating with Iambic, we bring together complementary capabilities to accelerate scientific insights and improve decision-making across the R&D value chain.”
 
Traditional drug discovery takes 10-15 years and costs around USD 2.6 billion, yet more than 90 percent of candidates fail in clinical trials.^1,2,3 By using AI-based molecular optimization, the collaboration aims to identify differentiated hit molecules, accelerate optimization timelines, and strengthen Bayer's pipeline ahead of the next decade. 

“Iambic is proving that better technology leads to better medicines, both in our own hands and with visionary partners like Bayer,” said Tom Miller, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO, Iambic. “Through this collaboration, Bayer secures access to industry-leading technology, including Iambic’s frontier AI models Enchant and NeuralPLexer, and together we expand the universe of potential life-saving medicines.”

Under terms of the agreement Iambic will receive an upfront payment as well as milestone and royalty payments.

About Iambic
Iambic is proving that better technology leads to better medicines. By pioneering molecular superintelligence — integrating proprietary AI with automated, high-throughput experimentation — we are transforming how medicines are made. Our platform was validated by the discovery of a novel drug candidate advanced to clinic in about one-third industry-standard time, along with a diverse preclinical pipeline. Our leading AI technologies include Enchant and NeuralPLexer for multimodal endpoint prediction designed to improve the speed, precision, and success rates of drug discovery and clinical development. At Iambic, we are building the engine that will power the future of medicine. | iambic.ai

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

Bayer Global Media Contact:
Lisa Varrelmann, phone: +49 1746466492
Email: lisa.varrelmann@bayer.com

Iambic Media Contact:
Amanda Guisbond
Email: media@iambic.ai

Find more information at https://pharma.bayer.com/
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bayer

lv	(2026-0111e)

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. 

Bayer AG is a holding company with operating subsidiaries worldwide. References to “Bayer” or “the company” herein may refer to one or more subsidiaries as context requires.

1. FTLOScience. The process and costs of drug development. Available at: https://ftloscience.com/process-costs-drug-development. 
2. Mullard, A. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd4507. 
3. Sun, D et al. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2022.02.002