Bayer and Henry Ford Health Announce Strategic Research Partnership to Expand Patient Access to Clinical Trials

DETROIT — Bayer, a global life sciences company, and Henry Ford Health today announced a strategic partnership to expand clinical trial opportunities for patients. The work brings together Bayer’s global drug development expertise with Henry Ford Health’s comprehensive clinical research program and its deep connection to the communities it serves.

“Clinical trials are often the first opportunity patients have to access cutting-edge treatments,” said Dr. David Lanfear, Chief Scientific Officer for Henry Ford Health. “Through this collaboration, we aim to make clinical research more accessible, reduce barriers to participation, accelerate the development of new treatments and ensure that more patients have the opportunity to benefit from medical innovation.”

Initial efforts will focus on several key areas that align with Bayer’s growing pipeline and product offerings:

• Cardiovascular and renal disease, including thrombosis, heart failure, stroke, and chronic kidney disease
• Oncology, including advanced cancers and targeted therapies
• Women’s health, including treatments for menopausal symptoms and gynecologic conditions

Together, the organizations will collaboratively work across the full clinical trial process, using data and technology to design smarter trials. Patients will be able to access novel treatments sooner by reducing barriers to participation.

“Bayer is consistently exploring new avenues that can help more patients with diseases or health conditions that impact millions of people across the world,” said Christoph Koenen, Head, Clinical Development & Operations for Bayer. “We share this commitment to patients and advancing drug discovery with likeminded institutions like Henry Ford Health that can help reduce barriers to accessing investigational or potential new treatments right in the very communities where patients are already receiving their care.”

The partnership will add more areas of medicinal research as time goes on. Beyond clinical trials, the organizations plan to work together in areas such as:

• Using AI, analytics, and electronic health record data to improve trial design and patient identification
• Generating real-world evidence to better understand how treatments perform
• Supporting training and innovation in healthcare data science

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing clinical research in ways that are faster, more inclusive, and more accessible for patients.

Henry Ford Health is one of only four academic health systems in the U.S. selected to work with Bayer in this strategic research model, reflecting its clinical expertise, integrated care network, diverse patient population and strong track record in clinical research. In July, Bayer announced its first strategic alliance with the University of Colorado Anschutz, UCHealth and Children’s Hospital Colorado to advance drug development and clinical trials. 

“This partnership builds on Henry Ford Health’s longstanding leadership in clinical research and creates new opportunities to bring innovative studies to our patients,” Lanfear said. “By combining our expertise with Bayer’s global research capabilities, we can help advance treatments in areas that matter most while ensuring research reflects the needs of the diverse communities we serve.”

About Bayer 
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros.

About Henry Ford Health
Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is a premier healthcare organization dedicated to helping people live their best lives. More than 50,000 team members provide care and service at hundreds of locations, offering everything from primary, preventive and urgent care to specialized treatment, health coverage, pharmacy and vision services, home health, and virtual care. Henry Ford Health is also a leading academic health system advancing the future of medicine through innovation, clinical trials, translational research, and the education of healthcare professionals. Henry Ford’s clinical research is part of Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences, accelerating discovery across biomedical and population health research while training the next generation of healthcare providers and scientists. Together, this work is focused on breakthroughs in prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and health and wellness.

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MEDIA CONTACT: mediarelations@hfhs.org