Bayer AG announced a strategic collaboration with Samsung Electronics America, Inc. to address data gaps on sleep disturbances associated with menopause (SDM). The companies will co-develop an observational study to further improve the understanding of the burden and impact of SDM using data provided by women through Samsung consumer devices.

Up to 60% of women experience sleep disturbances during menopausal transition, including difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.1 SDM can negatively impact women’s health and quality of life, limiting daily activities, including performance at work. Despite this impact on women’s health, current treatments do not specifically address sleep disturbances associated with menopause.

“By joining forces with Samsung and women using their devices, we strive to expand treatment options to support women at all stages of life,” said Juergen Eckhardt, M.D., Head of Business Development & Licensing at Bayer's Pharmaceuticals Division. “With one of the world's largest pools of biomarker data collected with wearable devices, Samsung is a perfect partner to further enhance the knowledge base in women’s health with real-world evidence.”

Together with vasomotor symptoms (also known as VMS or hot flashes) and mood symptoms, sleep disturbances belong to the most frequent and disruptive symptoms associated with menopause. Bayer recently announced positive detailed results from the pivotal OASIS 1 and 2 Phase III studies of its investigational compound elinzanetant which achieved a statistically significant reduction in frequency and severity of VMS over 12 weeks compared to placebo.

The collaboration announced today will leverage Samsung's strong position in consumer wearable technology and leading expertise in sensors and devices to capture relevant digital endpoints.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Bayer to explore the connection between sleep and women’s health,” said Sumanth Munipalli, Head of Partnerships & Business Development, Digital Health, Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung is building powerful consumer technology to gain meaningful insights into sleeping better. As a foundation of health, good sleep is critical to our overall health and wellbeing across one’s health span.”

Samsung Health’s end-to-end health and wellness platform, which includes its innovative health app and wearables, enables the collection of various biometric data, including temperature, sleep architecture and menstrual cycle.

Financial details were not disclosed.