Bayer delves further into gene therapy with Atara deal

German pharmaceutical company Bayer - arguably best-known for its infamous weedkiller Roundup - has accelerated its move into gene therapy by striking a deal with Atara Biotherapeutics.

The deal allows the two companies to jointly work on Atara's CAR-T cell anti-tumour treatments after Bayer expressed interest in starting its own gene therapy wing.

Pre-clinical trials purport the treatments show anti-tumour activity alongside another treatment called ATA2271.

The German company recently acquired Asklepios Inc (AskBio) for a record $4 billion (€3.38 billion), paying $2 billion upfront and a further $2 billion later based on financial milestones.

It also acquired Bluerock Therapeutics back in 2019.

This comes in a bid to recuperate losses - amounting to over $8 billion (€6.5 billion) - in the agricultural sector, in no small part owing to its association with subsidiary company Monsanto's Roundup, which has resulted in the German pharma giants getting tangled in at least 125,000 lawsuits.

Read more: French Farmer Wins Legal Battle Against Monsanto Over Roundup Health Woes

It has faced accusations that the weedkiller, which contains glyphosate, causes cancer, resulting in Bayer taking a tougher stance on any products it stocks which contain the chemical.

Back in 2019, the German government opted for an outright ban on glyphosate weedkillers which is due to come into effect by the end of 2023.

The German company's new endeavour is in the development of experimental mesothelioma treatments after Bayer announced last week it was setting up a unit within its healthcare division to further their gene therapy plans.

Bayer is to make an upfront payment of $60 million (€49.4 million) but may end up paying as much as $610 million (€502 million) if certain milestones are reached.

Officials hope this deal will allow Bayer to move on from the past and grow in the field of gene therapy.

Wolfram Carius, the head of Bayer's newly formed Cell and Gene Therapy unit told Reuters: “It’s really a defining moment for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, showing the clear commitment by the entire company to advance cell and gene therapy."

The deal may allow the two companies research teams to gain an understanding of how tumours ignore immune system responses and may even be able to introduce gene therapy treatments to allow the body to better fight against both malignant and benign tumours.

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