Bayer joins Sensyne Health consortium

 

Life sciences giant Bayer has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sensyne Health and its consortium partners to help develop a national patient data network.

Under the deal, Bayer will join existing partners Microsoft, EY, JP Morgan, and Peel Hunt as the consortium’s preferred pharmaceutical partner, providing strategic insight and advice regarding the research, development and commercialisation of new medicines, medical devices and biomarkers.

Building on Sensyne Health’s strategic research agreements with NHS Trusts, the network aims to accelerate the discovery and development of new medicines and improve patient care through the analysis of large databases of anonymised patient data, using clinical artificial intelligence.

Sensyne CEO, former science minister Lord Drayson, said: ‘I am delighted to have agreed this partnership with Bayer. Sensyne Health’s consortium of experts already benefits from a vast array of expertise, and bringing Bayer to the table, with its long history of drug discovery and in-depth pharmaceutical knowledge, will increase the chances of developing new medicines and ultimately help to relieve the strain on the NHS. Clinical AI has enormous potential for the UK health sector and Sensyne Health, along with its partners, is proud to be at the forefront of efforts to leverage this important technology in the U.K. for the benefit of patients, clinicians and the country as a whole.’

Sensyne Health and Bayer are also exploring additional opportunities for collaboration.

Kemal Malik MD, Bayer board member for innovation, said: ‘Access to anonymised national linked patient data heralds a new era in the discovery and development of medicines. Through the application of artificial intelligence to large sets of patient information it becomes possible to identify people that are most likely to be at risk of diseases in the future.  Importantly, this will allow steps to prevent their progress along that path.  Bayer is excited to make its expertise available to develop this capability.’