R&D
Bayer and Vanderbilt launch five-year partnership to accelerate innovative therapies
The partnership initially will focus on cardiovascular and kidney diseases
- By IPP Bureau
| January 23, 2026
Bayer and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have announced a strategic five-year collaboration aimed at fast-tracking the development of new therapies from target identification through Investigational New Drug (IND) applications.
The partnership initially will focus on cardiovascular and kidney diseases, two areas with pressing unmet medical needs.
The collaboration will harness VUMC’s extensive research platform, including the BioVU collection of DNA and plasma samples, to generate data-driven insights that accelerate discovery and development. Bayer will bring its drug discovery and translational science expertise, while VUMC contributes its deep preclinical and clinical knowledge.
“This collaboration exemplifies our shared vision to harness cutting-edge science and real-world data to bring innovative treatments to patients faster,” said Juergen Eckhardt, Head of Business Development and Licensing at Bayer Pharmaceuticals.
“Collaborating with VUMC underscores our commitment to advancing precision medicine and fostering partnerships that integrate world-class research capabilities with industry-leading development expertise.”
“VUMC has many internationally recognized research faculty along with deep and unique data resources that enable pharmaceutical discovery and development,” said Ken Holroyd, holder of the Brock Family Directorship for Applied Innovation and Vice President for Tech Transfer at VUMC.
“We are delighted to enter this new and important collaboration with Bayer. We will complement Bayer’s expertise to fulfill our mission to convert research into impactful new treatments for patients.”
