Bayer Opens New Oncology R&D Center in Kendall Square

Bayer AG has opened its new Research and Innovation Center at Kendall Square, expanding further the company’s footprint into one of the world’s most innovative pharmaceutical R&D hubs. Representing a total $140M investment into the area, Bayer’s 62,100-square-foot building houses a new center of precision molecular oncology research equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and offices for the development of novel targeted cancer therapies for patients. In addition, the center comprises a newly established research team focused on leveraging chemical biology techniques to further propel the company’s oncology drug development process. Committed to becoming a “top 10 oncology company” by 2030, Bayer is investing a significant portion of its global R&D budget toward oncology.

“At Kendall Square, we find the innovation-driven businesses, entrepreneurship, world-class academics, cutting-edge research, breakthrough technologies, infrastructure, and culture to support our strategic goals,” said Marianne De Backer, MBA, Ph.D., Member of the Executive Committee of the Pharmaceuticals Division and Head of Strategy, Business Development & Licensing and Open Innovation at Bayer. “It helps us to further solidify our presence and commitment in this vibrant and growing ecosystem that gives us an opportunity to connect with current and future pioneers in the pharmaceutical sector. We are here to develop long-lasting relationships that will accelerate our quest for novel treatments and technologies…”

The new center currently provides space for 100 employees, while the company is prepared to fill an additional 50 roles in the coming months. It is designed to enhance the collaboration between Bayer R&D, its internal partners such as BlueRock Therapeutics, Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio) and Vividion Therapeutics, as well as external partners to accelerate the development of transformative treatments for patients. In addition to the new center at Kendall Square in Cambridge, Bayer has also established strategic research collaborations with top scientific partners in Boston, including joint laboratories in the areas of lung disease with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital and precision cardiology with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. (Source: Bayer Website, 29 June, 2022)