Singapore: German major Bayer Healthcare recently announced an extension of its existing cooperation with Singaporean institutions, declaring plans to launch three new joint research projects in oncology, cardiology and ophthalmology over the next five years.

Announcing a five year plan and an investment of nearly $22 million, the company said that the projects will be jointly funded by Bayer HealthCare and grant funding agencies in Singapore.

The cooperation is expected to broaden existing partnerships with pre-clinical and clinical researchers from partner institutions, such as the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Center and National University Health System (NUHS).

Professor Andreas Busch, head of Bayer HealthCare Global Drug Discovery and member of the executive committee of Bayer HealthCare, said, "Singapore is an important research site for Bayer in Asia. By working with our partners, we can gain first-hand insights from researchers on diseases prevalent in Singapore and Asia and gather a real-life perspective into their clinical management practice. We will set up a platform to discuss potential new collaborations, from target discovery projects to early clinical studies."

Mr Kevin Lai, executive director for Biomedical Sciences and Consumer Businesses, Singapore EDB, said, "EDB is committed to further strengthen the ecosystem and establish Singapore as the choice location for companies to carry out research and clinical activities to meet the growing healthcare needs in the region."