The gene expression data generated will be used for the prediction of toxicological effects of compounds in the drug discovery business, which aims to resolve the bottlenecks that have emerged in the research processes.
Under the terms of the agreement, the expansion with Bayer will include multiple sites in Germany and the US. Genedata will deliver software for characterising targets and biomarkers.
Genedata, who were at the >Drug Discovery Technology conference in London, said: "We are delighted that Bayer HealthCare has chosen Genedata's Expressionist and Phylosopher software systems to support its target and biomarker research efforts."
"Earlier phases of the collaboration have been expanded to create a global research informatics solution for Bayer Healthcare," added Dr Othmar Pfannes, Chairman and President of Genedata.
The Genedata Expressionist software system is specifically designed for 'omics' data integration, processing and analysis and uses statistical algorithms and visualisation tools with data management and result dissemination.
The platform enables researchers to analyse isolated information on cellular responses that are important for biomarker discovery, evaluating bioactive molecules, and clinical trial patient group stratification.
The Expressionist is a single-point-of-access for all experimental data - including sample information, raw and pre-processed data and analysis results with reports and documentation.
Likewise, the Phylosopher is a research information management system that has been developed to support the early stages of the drug discovery process by structuring and integrating research data from in-house experiments and interpreting this data.
A relational database integrates all proprietary drug-discovery relevant information within a pharmaceutical company with public biological data.
The system connects genome sequences, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic data with metabolic and signalling pathways, as well as with functional information and annotations and disease-relevant phenotypes.
The collaboration has expanded to complement the activities of Bayer HealthCare's target and biomarker research program.
The biomarkers will help identify compounds likely to be effective at later drug development stages, enabling Bayer HealthCare to focus on the most promising therapeutic leads.
"In addition to strong software functionality, we require scalability and solid result information management," explained Dr. Joe Catino, head of discovery US, Bayer Pharmaceuticals
Genedata's solutions incorporate database technologies with three-tier client-server architecture. This has facilitated efficient deployment and integration with Bayer HealthCare's global research informatics infrastructure.