Bayer and BioNTech announce animal health research collaboration

Bayer has announced a new drug research collaboration in the field of animal health therapy research with BioNTech.

The companies will work together to develop novel first-in-class mRNA vaccines and therapeutics specifically for animal health applications, leveraging BioNTech's proprietary mRNA technology platform, formulation development capabilities, immunology expertise and intellectual property.

Bayer, meanwhile, will provide its development expertise and understanding of diseases. This marks the first partnership of its kind making a substantial investment in mRNA therapeutics specifically for use in animals.

Through this agreement, Bayer will receive exclusive rights to use BioNTech's proprietary mRNA technology for developing mRNA vaccines for animal health, while BioNTech gains exclusive access to Bayer's extensive expertise and knowledge in veterinary medicine.

It is also expected that any discoveries made through this research will benefit BioNTech's extensive human health programme.

Sabine Bongaerts, head of drug discovery for animal health at Bayer, said: "It is really exciting to be able to combine cutting-edge technology, scientific excellence and veterinary research and development and disease knowledge to provide new solutions to protect the health of companion and farm animals."