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Bayer and Cologne University Hospital
launch collaboration

Bayer Management Board member Dr. Wolfgang Plischke (right), North Rhine-Westphalia Research Minister Professor Andreas Pinkwart (center), and Professor Joachim Klosterkötter of Cologne University Hospital.

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Bayer Management Board member Dr. Wolfgang Plischke (right), North Rhine-Westphalia Research Minister Professor Andreas Pinkwart (center), and Professor Joachim Klosterkötter of Cologne University Hospital.

Cologne / Leverkusen – Under an agreement signed in Cologne at the end of March, Bayer and the Cologne University Hospital will immediately begin cooperating in the field of medical research. Given the partners’ areas of focus and close proximity of their locations, this “preferred partnership agreement” to work together in research and development areas such as oncology, cardiology, central nervous system disorders and pre-clinical activities offers key advantages in terms of positioning in the international arena.

Cologne University Hospital and Bayer plan to conduct joint clinical studies in the above areas. The alliance is also aimed at promoting excellence among young researchers. Plans call for the establishment of a graduate college in which the first doctoral students will begin receiving support in 2009. The partnership aims to serve as a model for the future of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a center of innovation.

In recent years, Germany has been facing strong competition from China, India, eastern Europe and other regions as a location for clinical studies. The scientific quality of studies conducted in Germany is considered to be very high, and a larger number of studies would not only provide a boost to research in Germany but also facilitate patient access to the latest medicines.