Bayer collaborates on gene therapy – back in the United States

Bayer AG, based in Leverkusen, has partnered with US company Mammoth Bioscience in the field of cell and gene therapy. The company was founded by Nobel laureate in chemistry Jennifer Dowdna, who now chairs the board of directors. Bayer pays $ 40 million in advance to work with CRISPR Pioneer, but the deal includes up to $ 1 billion in milestone payments. Mammootty signed a $ 700 million contract with Vertex in the fall of 2021.

Bayer rediscovered what they were looking for in the United States. With Mammoth Bioscience, the Leverkusen-based company wants to establish itself very strongly in the field of genetics and cell therapy, and they will now find solutions for liver diseases. American privacy treasures, in particular, include variations of the Cas nucleus (Cas14, CasPhi) derived from Jennifer Dowdna’s laboratory.

“Uncle’s novel integration of CRISPR systems with our current genetic and induced fluoride stem cell (iPSC) platforms will allow us to realize the full potential of our cell and gene therapy strategy,” said Stephen Olrich, a member of Bayer AG’s executive committee. And head of the pharmaceuticals division in Bayer. “Partnering with Mammootty’s world – class scientific team to improve the lives of patients suffering from diseases that are currently difficult to treat is an important building block for our organization.”

Unlike large mammals, large mammals have the special feature of being only half the size of the well-known Cas9. This is a big challenge for those who use gene therapy today because the adenovirus that is often used with the nucleus is actually already in the absorption range. Many attempts are being made to add size to newly designed vectors or to reduce the number of molecules that need to be packed.

With the new collaboration, Bayer has again found itself looking overseas after acquiring Asklepios Biopharma for $ 4 billion in 2020 and Vividion for $ 1.5 billion to $ 2 billion in 2021. At the same time, Leverkusen’s technical scouts active in the German – speaking territory are not tired of insisting that discoveries from the neighborhood also attract their attention. Therefore, one may be interested in when the relevant agreement will be executed in this country.

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