How Bayer Uses AI to Advance Drug Discovery With Iambic

Bayer has entered into a partnership with Iambic Therapeutics to use AI-powered technology in small molecule discovery and drug development.

The collaboration will focus on drug targets that have been difficult to reach through traditional methods.

The German pharmaceutical and biotech company will access Iambic's Enchant and NeuralPLexer AI platforms. These systems could help identify new drug pathways and reduce optimisation timelines.

AI platforms for drug discovery

Juergen Eckhardt, Head of Business Development and Licensing at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, says: "This collaboration exemplifies our shared ambition to harness AI as a strategic driver of innovation in drug discovery and our focus on building high-impact collaborations that translate cutting-edge technology into patient value."

"By collaborating with Iambic, we bring together complementary capabilities to accelerate scientific insights and improve decision-making across the R&D value chain."

The partnership will provide Bayer with access to technology that could improve scientific research across its pharmaceutical platform. Iambic describes its systems as frontier AI models designed for medicine development.

Tom Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Iambic, adds: "Iambic is proving that better technology leads to better medicines, both in our own hands and with visionary partners like Bayer."

Research portfolio and priorities

Bayer's research division works in specialty areas including Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology, Women's Health and Cell and Gene Therapies. The company manages 40 active programmes.

According to Bayer, its innovation portfolio comprises 45% biologics and advanced therapies alongside 55% small molecules. The focus on small molecules makes the Iambic partnership relevant to more than half of the company's drug development work.

The collaboration with Iambic could expand the range of potential medicines under development. ]

Tom says: "Through this collaboration, Bayer secures access to industry-leading technology, including Iambic's frontier AI models Enchant and NeuralPLexer, and together we expand the universe of potential life-saving medicines."

The partnership represents a sourcing arrangement where Bayer will use external AI capabilities rather than developing comparable systems internally.

Renewable energy procurement strategy

Bayer has set a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its operations by 2050 or sooner. The company plans to purchase 100% of its electricity from renewable sources to support this goal.

Bill Anderson, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of Bayer, says: "Health for all Hunger for none: our mission is at the heart of everything we do at Bayer."

"We're dedicated to better health, improved patient care and innovative agriculture to not only produce more food but also restore nature: by improving soil health, restoring biodiversity and conserving water."

In 2025, Bayer's facility in northern Spain became the first plant in the region to achieve total decarbonisation. The milestone was enabled through a collaboration with Iberdrola, an electric utility provider.

Iberdrola implemented a thermal storage system next to the Bayer site. The system converts renewable power into steam for the plant's industrial processes.

Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Iberdrola Spain, says: "This is the first major steam electrification project in Spain and one of the largest in the world, which represents the great commitment of Bayer and Iberdrola to Asturias."

"It uses thermal storage technology, available technology that allows up to 50% of the heat consumed by industry in Spain to be decarbonised."

The technology could provide a model for other industrial facilities seeking to reduce emissions from heat-intensive processes.

The thermal storage approach addresses the challenge of converting renewable electricity into usable industrial heat.