Bayer and Tempus Initiate Collaboration to Advance Patient Access to Genomic Testing and Precision Medicine

Bayer and Tempus, leaders in precision medicine and artificial intelligence (AI), announced a new collaboration designed to provide broader access to genomic testing and tailored treatment approaches for the oncology community. The collaboration will include an initiative to help facilitate patient identification for precision oncology by providing testing, via the Tempus xT broad-panel genomic sequencing assay, for a subset of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), as well as those with radioactive iodine refractory differentiated metastatic thyroid carcinoma (RAIR thyroid cancers). Looking ahead, Bayer and Tempus will continue to implement data-enriched initiatives dedicated to supporting patients.

Bayer's commitment to precision oncology is currently supported by its approach to research that prioritizes targets and pathways that impact the way cancer is treated. The Tempus xT broad-panel genomic sequencing assay is designed to detect actionable driver alterations, including BRAF, KRAS, RET, and NTRK gene fusions.¹ NTRK gene fusions are genomic alterations that drive tumor growth regardless of where they originate in the body.^2-4 These genomic alterations typically occur following DNA damage, which results in structural changes to the DNA either through biological changes or from environmental factors (e.g. ultraviolet light damage).^2-4 During the DNA damage repair mechanism, the NTRK gene can fuse with an unrelated gene resulting in an altered TRK fusion protein, which causes a constant signaling cascade, driving tumor growth and its metastasis (progression).^2-4 Studies suggest NTRK gene fusions are present in approximately 3% of patients with mCRC with prior high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) status and 2.4%-12% of patients with RAIR thyroid cancers.^5-7

Testing early and utilizing comprehensive genomic profiling is critical, as it helps physicians understand the underlying driver of DNA alterations for tumor progression (growth).^8,9 When actionable alterations are detected, they aid physicians in the treatment decisions appropriate for their patients.¹⁰ The Tempus xT broad-panel genomic sequencing assay detects these alterations by sequencing tumor samples with matched normal saliva or blood samples, when available, covering 648 genes.¹ The test is used by many oncologists across a diverse set of clinical settings, including leading academic centers, NCI designated cancer centers, hospital networks and community hospitals.

“Bayer’s strong focus in precision medicine combined with Tempus’ unique testing offering has culminated in this collaboration to bring genomic testing to cancer patients,” said Bhavesh Ashar, Senior Vice President, Head of U.S. Oncology at Bayer. "We are excited for the potential of this initiative to identify patients who may benefit from tailored treatment options.”

"This strategic collaboration aims to provide eligible colorectal and thyroid cancer patients with broad based access to our genomic test to help their physicians make treatment decisions," said Ryan Fukushima, Chief Operating Officer of Tempus.

Healthcare professionals with eligible patients from the above tumor types can receive additional information by learning more at Tempus.com/bayerprogram and contacting Tempus at [email protected].

About Oncology at Bayer

Bayer is committed to delivering science for a better life by advancing a portfolio of innovative treatments. The oncology franchise at Bayer now expands to six marketed products and several other assets in various stages of clinical development. Together, these products reflect the company’s approach to research, which prioritizes targets and pathways with the potential to impact the way that cancer is treated.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. 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, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

About Tempus

Tempus is a technology company advancing precision medicine through the practical application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. With one of the world’s largest libraries of clinical and molecular data, and an operating system to make that data accessible and useful, Tempus enables physicians to make real-time, data-driven decisions to deliver personalized patient care and in parallel facilitates discovery, development and delivery of optimal therapeutics. The goal is for each patient to benefit from the treatment of others who came before by providing physicians with tools that learn as the company gathers more data. For more information, visit tempus.com.

###

^© 2020 Bayer

BAYER and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

______________________________________________________________________________

References

1. Tempus xT Validation Summary. September 28, 2020.
2. Amatu A, Sartore-Bianchi A, Siena S. NTRK gene fusions as novel targets of cancer therapy across multiple tumour types. ESMO Open 2016;1:e000023. doi:10.1136/esmoopen-2015- 000023.
3. Kumar-Sinha C, Kalyana-Sundaram S, Chinnaiyan AM. Landscape of gene fusions in epithelial cancers: seq and ye shall find. Genome Med. 2015;7:129. doi:10.1186/s13073-015-0252-1.
4. Vaishnavi A, Le AT, Doebele RC. TRKing down an old oncogene in a new era of targeted therapy. Cancer Discov. 2015;5(1):25-34.
5. Cocco, E, Benhamida, J, Middha, S et al. Colorectal Carcinomas Containing Hypermethylated MLH1 Promoter and Wild-Type BRAF/KRAS Are Enriched for Targetable Kinase Fusions. Cancer Res 2019;79(6):1047-1053. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3126.
6. Stransky N, Cerami E, Schalm S, Kim JL, Lengauer C. The landscape of kinase fusions in cancer. Nat Commun. 2014;5:4846. doi:10.1038/ncomms5846.
7. Brzeziańska E, Karbownik M, Migdalska-Sęk M,Pastuszak-Lewandoska D, Włoch J, Lewiński A. Molecular analysis of the RET and NTRK1 gene rearrangements in papillary thyroid carcinoma in the Polish population. Mutat Res. 2006;599(1-2):26-35.
8. Massard C, Michiels S, Ferté C, et al. High-Throughput Genomics and Clinical Outcome in Hard-to-Treat Advanced Cancers: Results of the MOSCATO 01 Trial. Cancer Discov.2017;7(6):586-595.
9. Boland GM, Piha-Paul SA, Subbiah V, et al. Clinical next generation sequencing to identify actionable aberrations in a phase I program. Oncotarget.2015;6(24):20099-20110.
10. Hechtman JF, Benayed R, Hyman DM, et al. Pan-trk immunohistochemistry is an efficient and reliable screen for the detection of NTRK fusions. Am J Surg Pathol. 2017;41(11):1547-1551.

PP-PF-ONC-US-1620-1

12/20

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201210005755/en/