Bayer boosts pre-clinical oncology pipeline
pharmafile | August 8, 2008 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â Â
Bayer Schering Pharma has acquired two potential cancer drugs and a range of oncology compounds from Nycomed in a deal worth up to Euro 52 million.
Bayer gains development and commercialisation rights to the pre-clinical anti-cancer programme after Nycomed decided to stop investing in oncology research.
Nycomed will receive an initial reward as well as payments on completion of agreed preclinical and regulatory milestones, and Bayer said the deal could be worth up to Euro 52 million.
Professor Andreas Busch is responsible for Bayer Schering Pharma's Global Drug Discovery and he said the promising programme would complement the company's existing in-house efforts.
"The deal underpins our commitment to oncology research and our long-term aspiration to provide new treatment options for patients suffering from cancer," he explained.
In addition to two potential drug candidates, Bayer gains an extensive set of back-up compounds targeting a kinase critical for growth and survival of cancer cells.
Oncology is one of four focus areas for Bayer's research and its leading cancer drug is Nexavar, which is approved for advanced renal cell cancer in Europe and the US.
The company also has four new drug candidates in its oncology pipeline, including the oral multi-VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor PTK/ZK, which it is developing with Novartis.






