Bayer and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to Advance Treatments for Cardiovascular and Kidney Diseases

Key Terms

investigational new drug (ind) application regulatory

An investigational new drug (IND) application is a formal request submitted to a drug regulator asking permission to begin testing a new medicine in people. It compiles lab results, manufacturing details and proposed human trial plans so regulators can judge safety before human studies start; for investors, an accepted IND is a key milestone that opens the clinical development pathway and can materially change a company’s risk profile and potential value, like getting a license to road-test a prototype.

precision medicine medical

Precision medicine uses a person’s unique genetic makeup, lifestyle and environment to choose treatments and preventive steps that are more likely to work for them than one-size-fits-all approaches. For investors, it matters because it can make therapies more effective and efficient—think tailoring a suit rather than buying off the rack—affecting drug development costs, market size, pricing power and the speed at which therapies win regulatory approval.

translational sciences medical

Translational sciences are the work that turns scientific discoveries into real-world medical products, tests or procedures by testing ideas, solving practical problems and navigating early development steps such as small human studies and regulatory planning. For investors, strong translational capability shortens timelines and lowers the chance that a promising idea fails in later stages—think of it as the bridge that converts a laboratory prototype into a market-ready product, reducing development risk and clarifying value.

real-world data technical

Real-world data consists of information collected from everyday sources outside of controlled experiments or official reports, such as patient records, insurance claims, or wearable device readings. For investors, it provides a more complete picture of how products and services perform in actual use, helping them make better-informed decisions based on how things work in real life rather than just in theory or controlled settings.

Not intended for UK Media

• Collaboration spans across various indications with an initial focus on cardiovascular and kidney diseases, addressing areas of significant unmet medical need
• Bayer to leverage VUMC’s data resources to enable data-driven insights and accelerate drug discovery and development
• Collaboration will strengthen Bayer’s pharmaceutical development portfolio harnessing cutting-edge science and real-world data 

BERLIN & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bayer and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) today announced that they have entered a strategic five-year collaboration agreement to advance innovative therapies from target identification through Investigational New Drug (IND) application. The agreement spans across all indications currently pursued by Bayer, initially focusing on cardiovascular and kidney diseases, two therapeutic areas with significant unmet medical need.

The collaboration will leverage VUMC’s resource platform, including its comprehensive datasets hosted in Vanderbilt’s BioVU collection of DNA and Plasma to enable data-driven insights and to accelerate discovery and development. It will combine Bayer’s expertise in drug discovery and translational sciences with VUMC’s 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, M.D., 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, M.D., 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.”

About Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is a growing academic health system headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., USA. It is one of the largest and most prominent academic systems in the Southeast U.S., providing patient care, conducting research and training the next generation of health professionals. With 43,000 employees, including 4,930 clinicians, VUMC accommodated more than 3.5 million patient visits last year at its seven hospitals and 180+ clinic locations. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine ranks among the U.S. top 10 in receipt of federal research funding from the National Institutes of Health. In 2025, VUMC contributed $22.13 billion to the regional economy while also providing more than $1 billion in total community benefit and investment including patient financial assistance, medical research, health professional education, community grants and unreimbursed costs for government health programs.

About Bayer’s Commitment in Cardiovascular and Kidney Diseases

Bayer is a leader in the area of cardiology and is advancing a portfolio of innovative treatments. The heart and the kidneys are closely linked in health and disease, and Bayer is working on new treatment approaches for cardiovascular and kidney diseases with high unmet medical needs. The strategy is to unlock the strong potential of the future cardiovascular market by transforming Bayer’s portfolio into precision cardiology, addressing the high disease burden, and driving long-term growth. Bayer’s portfolio already includes several innovative products and compounds in various stages of preclinical and clinical development. Together, these products reflect the company’s approach to research, which prioritizes targets and pathways with the potential to impact the way that cardiovascular diseases are treated.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2024, the Group employed around 93,000 people and had sales of 46.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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lv (2026-0014e)

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119478346/en/

Bayer Global Media Contact:

Lisa Varrelmann

Email: lisa.varrelmann@bayer.com

Phone: +49 1746466492



Vanderbilt University Medical Center Media Contact:

John Howser

Email: john.howser@vumc.org

Phone: 615-322-4747

Source: Bayer