Bayer Partners with Cradle to Advance AI-Powered Antibody Discovery

Bayer has entered a three-year strategic collaboration with Cradle to integrate its AI-driven protein engineering platform into Bayer’s R&D workflows. The partnership aims to accelerate antibody discovery and optimization, reduce development cycles, and improve potency, safety, and manufacturability, strengthening Bayer’s pipeline of next-generation therapeutics.

Berlin, Amsterdam, Zurich – January 7, 2026: Bayer and Cradle have announced a landmark collaboration to enhance AI-enabled antibody discovery and optimization. Under the three-year agreement, Bayer will deploy Cradle’s generative AI software platform for protein engineering across its therapeutic antibody pipeline.

The integration of Cradle’s platform into Bayer’s R&D workflows is expected to reduce optimization cycles, improve molecular potency and safety, and increase the probability of technical success. 
This partnership reflects Bayer’s commitment to modernizing drug discovery through advanced computational tools, while Cradle strengthens its role as a leading innovator in AI-assisted biopharma solutions.

According to Bayer’s Global Head of Digital R&D, the collaboration will accelerate productivity and enable the company to bring higher-quality molecules into clinical development faster. Industry experts view this as a significant step toward leveraging AI to tackle complex modes of action in drug development.

Key Highlights

• Partnership scope: Three-year collaboration between Bayer and Cradle.
• Technology: Cradle’s AI-driven protein engineering platform integrated into Bayer’s R&D.
• Impact: Faster lead generation, reduced optimization cycles, improved potency and safety.
• Strategic goal: Strengthen Bayer’s therapeutic antibody pipeline and expand innovation capacity.
• Industry significance: AI adoption seen as a key driver of next-gen drug discovery.

Sources: Yahoo Finance, Bayer Official Media Release, Journal of Biomedical Science