BioInvent, Sysmex, Bayer, RWTH Aachen University deal

Bayer's Bayer Technology Services GmbH subsidiary and the university partnered to form the Joint Research Center on Computational Biomedicine to develop new methods in computer-based modeling of complex biological processes. Bayer said areas of research include re-engineering of drug action networks from high throughput data, classification of disease states in cancer patients and monitoring of lab experiments in cell cultures. Bayer will contribute funding and advice to the center, but said there will be no exchange of scientists between the pharma and the university. The center, which is part of the Research Cluster for Modeling and Simulation and the Faculty of Medicine at the university, will be headed by professor Andreas Schuppert. The university declined to comment.

Separately, Bayer and BioInvent expanded a 2008 deal to allow Bayer broader access to BioInvent's discovery and development technology platform. BioInvent will receive an undisclosed license fee to cover new projects and is eligible for milestones and royalties. In 2008, Bayer received a non-exclusive license to BioInvent's n-CoDeR antibody library to discover up to 14 human mAbs in all disease areas. Bayer said two undisclosed projects resulting from the 2008 deal are in early clinical development. Bayer declined to disclose details, and BioInvent could not be reached (see BioCentury, March 17, 2008). ...