Bayer Animal Health has signed a global collaboration agreement with adivo, a company which develops therapeutic antibodies for pets.

The two companies have agreed to jointly discover and develop species-specific therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for companion animals, a class of drug which they say is neglected in veterinary medicine but offers a variety of future therapeutic options for diseases that cannot be adequately treated today.

adivo will select species-specific antibodies using its proprietary fully canine phage display library. Bayer Animal Health will provide targets involved in severe animal diseases.

Dr. Douglas Hutchens, Bayer Animal Health’s Head of Drug Discovery, External Innovation & Chief Veterinary Officer, said: "Today’s agreement is another example of how we realize our innovation strategy

"By combining the know-how from creative start-up companies like adivo with opportunities derived from Bayer’s research, we broaden our space of therapeutic medicine options and complement our portfolio.

"We are constantly looking for innovative technologies that enable us to generate novel treatment options for the companion animal sector. Now, we will focus on evolving the options presented by adivo from research and development to market maturity."

Dr. Kathrin Ladetzki-Baehs, Managing Director of adivo said: "At adivo, we truly believe that pets have a positive impact on our society. By developing novel medicines for companion animals, we want to make a difference for veterinarians and pet-parents. Today, we are more than pleased and excited to have gained such a committed and experienced collaboration partner, to jointly develop new treatment options."

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