Partnership Integrates Small Molecule Development Capability

Under a strategic collaboration, Bayer will transfer a research unit with around 400 jobs to CRO/ CDMO NUVISAN for integration into a new research entity to be developed at the Bayer R&D Campus in Berlin. Confirming the longstanding cooperation between the two companies, Dr. Joerg Moeller, Member of the Executive Committee of Bayer AG's Pharmaceuticals Division and Head of Research and Development said: “With NUVISAN we have found an excellent partner with a clear plan to build up a strong fully fledged research unit in Berlin together with our dedicated team of scientists. NUVISAN shares our vision that the new research centre can become an important player in research partnering based on the joint know-how and the capabilities of our highly qualified scientists”.

The new research unit comprises a fully operational team specialised in small molecule development and comes with capabilities and capacities spanning the entire drug discovery value chain, including Lead Discovery, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics and Investigational Toxicology. "With these new drug discovery capabilities and capacities in the field of drug discovery, we do not only welcome a high-performance research team, but also obtain access to excellent specialty know-how and technology and continuously expand the range of services," said Dr. Dietrich Bruchmann, CEO and managing partner of NUVISAN. “The acquisition of the research unit and our commitment to the location at the Bayer R&D campus will create an operational hub in the scientific excellence cluster at Berlin and allow the combined businesses to significantly accelerate the drug development process from discovery to clinical trials. There is hardly any overlap in our range of services, so that we can immediately benefit from a variety of synergies and operational advantages through the new research centre.” Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close mid-2020 were not revealed.