Leaps by Bayer, the impact investment arm of Bayer AG, October 15 announced a USD 8 million financial investment in US-based clinical-stage medical dermatology biotech company Azitra Inc., as it was informed in the press release of the company.
The partnership will focus on developing cutting-edge skin products using engineered and wild-type bacteria for biotherapeutic, over-the-counter (OTC) and cosmetic applications leveraging Azitra’s technology platform for both live therapeutic products (LBPs) and consumer programs. Existing investors, Bios Partners and Connecticut Innovations also participated in the round.
Building on a joint development agreement announced in January 2020, Bayer and Azitra are collaborating to leverage Azitra’s proprietary panel of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains to identify potential candidates for the treatment of adverse skin conditions and diseases.
Azitra, Inc. is a clinical-stage medical dermatology company that combines the power of the microbiome with cutting-edge genetic engineering to treat skin disease. The company was founded in 2014 by scientists from Yale University and works with world-leading scientists in dermatology, microbiology, and genetic engineering.
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros.
