Bayer and the American Heart Association Collaborate to Advance Cardiovascular Research

Bayer Funds Research Grants to Spur Scientific Discovery for Areas of Unmet Medical Need

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Nov 14, 2016, 10:00 ET

WHIPPANY, N.J., Nov. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer and the American Heart Association (AHA) today announced the launch of the 2017 AHA-Bayer Innovation and Discovery Grants Program. The program will support research initiatives within the AHA Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine to advance scientific understanding and address unmet medical needs in cardiovascular disease. Specifically, Bayer will provide a total of $576,000 to fund three AHA-Bayer Discovery Target Grants, which AHA will award and administer in 2017.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture.

"While we have made great progress in preventing and effectively treating cardiovascular diseases, there is still a great deal of research to be done," said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer at the AHA. "We are proud to collaborate with Bayer on this program and in our shared mission to advance innovation and transform foundational science to meet the needs of patients with limited treatment options."

Cardiovascular and kidney diseases encompass a wide variety of conditions such as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, acute kidney injury and atrial fibrillation. These and several other conditions with high unmet need will be included in the scope of research outlined in the grant partnership.

"Our collaboration with the AHA underscores Bayer's history and long-standing commitment to advancing scientific research in cardiovascular and kidney disease management," said Karl Ziegelbauer, PhD, Senior Vice President and Head of Therapeutic Research Groups in Drug Discovery at Bayer AG's Pharmaceutical Division. "These grants will help support innovative research that can improve our understanding of these conditions and identify ways we can collaborate to find therapeutic solutions for these underserved diseases."

A long-standing supporter and corporate sponsor of AHA, Bayer has a robust product portfolio and research pipeline in cardiovascular and kidney diseases including heart failure, diabetic kidney disease, and thrombosis.

AHA will make the Request for Applications available in early 2017. Click here for more information or go to http://www.heart.org.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen.

In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

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About the AHA Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine

The American Heart Association Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine is the only organization dedicated exclusively to advancing precision medicine in cardiovascular care. The Institute aims to preserve and prolong health by architecting more precise scientific discoveries – those that take into account a person's genetics, environment and lifestyle – for better prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. To learn more, apply for research grants or to get involved, visit http://institute.heart.org.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – two of the leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is one of the world's oldest and largest voluntary organizations dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, visit www.heart.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association receives funding mostly from individuals. Foundations and corporations donate as well, and fund specific programs and events. Strict policies are enforced to prevent these relationships from influencing the association's science content. Financial information for the American Heart Association, including a list of contributions from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers, is available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

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SOURCE Bayer