Looking to early-stage companies for innovation, with Juergen Eckhardt

Small transactions may not always make the headlines, but they’re the lifeblood of pharma innovation. So says Juergen Eckhardt, EVP and head of pharma business development and licensing at Bayer and head of Leaps by Bayer, the company’s startup accelerator programme.

In an interview with pharmaphorum Editor in Chief Jonah Comstock at BIO 2025, Eckhardt discusses the importance of external innovation for Bayer and why the company is prioritising early-stage partnerships.

For one example, he discusses Bayer’s recent partnership with Pue Biopharma in China around an early stage oncology asset. For another, he recounts the company’s journey with cell therapy acquisition BlueRock Therapeutics.

Finally, Eckhardt shares some investment areas to watch from his vantage point in pharma business development. Check out the full conversation below.