Bayer enters into collaboration with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to research novel small molecule therapies for the oral treatment of hemophilia

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Dec 05, 2019, 07:00 ET

WHIPPANY, N.J., Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer announced today that it has entered into a three-year collaboration agreement with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the discovery and development of small molecules (SMOLs) to develop a first-in-class oral non-replacement therapy (NRT) for the treatment of hemophilia A and B. The partnership will combine CHOP's expertise in hemophilia and coagulation and Bayer's research capabilities.

Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder in which one of the clotting proteins needed to form blood clots in the body is missing or defective. Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 400,000 people live with hemophilia and approximately seventy five percent of them receive inadequate treatment. The main treatment for hemophilia is called replacement therapy and is often administered multiple times a week to help replace the clotting factor that's missing or low. An orally available SMOL for the treatment of hemophilia would be a completely new modality in the market, and has the potential to remove the burden of frequent injections from patients.

"Bayer is committed to investing and researching the next-generation of groundbreaking therapies. Small molecule therapies could help thousands of people with hemophilia A and B and we are looking forward to combining our strength in hemophilia research with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which is a leading institution in basic and clinical research in the field of hemophilia" said Dr. Joerg Moeller, Member of the Executive Committee of Bayer AG's Pharmaceuticals Division and Head of Research and Development. "This innovative approach is unprecedented in pharmaceutical history and would leverage significant opportunities for continued innovation in hemophilia".

Under the terms of the agreement, Bayer is investing USD 5 million in the joint research over three years, with the option of continuing the collaboration with the agreement of both parties. Bayer will have an option to exclusively license the collaboration results.

Bayer has a strong background in hemophilia products with Jivi at the forefront of the hemophilia replacement therapies market. The new research alliance with CHOP, a world-renowned pediatric research center, has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for patients. In addition, Bayer is currently developing a gene therapy treatment for hemophilia A patients, which could radically reduce the frequency of treatment these patients have to undergo.

About Bayer in Hemophilia
Bayer is driven by helping people with hemophilia thrive. We have a deep understanding of the evolving needs and aspirations of people with hemophilia, established over 30 years of partnering with the hemophilia community. FVIII replacement therapy is the standard of care to stop or prevent bleeding. Bayer's portfolio of FVIII treatments offers people with hemophilia A across all stages of life a treatment to suit their individual needs and lifestyles. We work together with researchers, healthcare professionals and patient groups to build a strong community and help people with hemophilia to live fulfilling lives. Bayer is passionate about spearheading research and investing in developing the next generation of therapies and solutions to help people with hemophilia thrive in the future.

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2018, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of 39.6 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.6 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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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.

SOURCE Bayer