German pharmaceutical and life sciences company Bayer AG (ETR:BAYN) (OTC:BAYRY) announced on Wednesday an extension of its decade-long cardiovascular research collaboration with the Broad Institute for an additional five years.

The partnership will continue to focus on leveraging human genomics to identify and validate novel precision cardiology targets.

Current joint efforts aim to develop treatments for specific cardiovascular conditions, including dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease that enlarges the heart chambers and impairs blood circulation. The collaboration has also supported Bayer's recent initiation of a Phase I clinical study in healthy volunteers for an investigational GIRK4 inhibitor targeting atrial fibrillation.

Established in 2013, the alliance combines the Broad Institute's genomics expertise with Bayer's drug discovery capabilities in both small molecules and biologics. It has yielded multiple publications and presentations, reinforcing Bayer's strategic commitment to precision medicine.

Bayer's proximity to the Broad Institute through its Bayer Research & Innovation Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, supports ongoing collaboration. This site hosts research teams focused on early-stage development in cardiovascular, renal and immunology therapeutics, as well as Bayer Co.Lab Cambridge, an incubator for disruptive biotech innovation.

Financial terms of the extended agreement were not disclosed.