NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Bayer HealthCare today announced it has expanded a drug development collaboration with the Broad Institute to include cardiovascular genomics.
As part of the expanded deal, Bayer and the Broad will collaborate on genetic discovery, target identification, and drug discovery activities. A joint steering committee and joint research committee will oversee research progress and direction, Bayer said. Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal expands an agreement reached by the partners in September 2013 to discover and develop therapeutic agents targeting cancer genome alterations.
Bayer said that while lifestyle factors, such as smoking, diet, and exercise, are the main culprits behind heart disease, genetic factors can influence the predisposition to cardiovascular disease, the age of onset, and severity.