• Arbele focuses on developing precision therapies for solid tumors

• Alphelix specializes in providing GPCR-related technical services

• So far 12 biotech startups have joined Bayer Co.Lab in China

Shanghai, March 10th, 2026 - Bayer Co.Lab announced it has signed agreements with Arbele and Alphelix, welcoming both biotech startups as new resident companies in China. Leveraging Bayer Co.Lab’s tailored mentorship and global resource network, the two new residents aim to accelerate innovative drug development and deliver breakthrough treatment options to patients.

Friedemann Janus, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Head of Bayer Co.Lab, Regional BD&L and Divestitures, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, said: “We are delighted to welcome Arbele and Alphelix to Bayer Co.Lab, further expanding our community that spans diverse technology platforms and cutting-edge innovations. In just over a year, Bayer Co.Lab has attracted 12 local startups in China, underscoring the tremendous vitality and potential of China as a global hub for biotech innovation. Bayer is committed to deeply integrating with and supporting this vibrant ecosystem, fostering open innovation, and empowering local biotech startups to accelerate their breakthrough innovations and scale globally.”

John Luk, DMedSc, CEO & Founder, Arbele said: “Joining the Bayer Co.Lab is a pivotal milestone in Arbele's global expansion. By integrating our expertise in next-generation immuno-oncology for solid tumors with Bayer's world-class resources, we are poised to accelerate the translation of groundbreaking research into clinical reality. Together, we are committed to driving innovative breakthroughs and high-impact clinical data that address significant unmet medical needs in oncology”.

Arbele is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Hong Kong with operations in Mainland China, U.S., Australia, and Singapore. The company develops multi-specific antibody therapeutics, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and cell therapies — with a strategic focus on CDH17-directed T-cell engagers and ADCs. Its lead program, ARB202, is a CDH17-targeted T-cell engager that has completed Phase 1 dose-escalation and is currently in dose expansion for advanced gastrointestinal cancers. Arbele has also established in vitro diagnostic (IVD) and companion diagnostic (CDx) tests to detect CDH17 biomarkers in blood and tissue samples. Guided by an experienced leadership team and strategic collaborations, Arbele integrates scientific excellence with operational execution to deliver transformative cancer care.

Dr. Minghui Li, CEO, Alphelix said: “We are honored to join Bayer Co.Lab, one of the world‘s leading life science incubator networks. As the largest target family in biopharmaceuticals, GPCRs represent a central frontier in innovative drug discovery. However, their structural complexity has long constrained development efficiency. Through sustained innovation, Alphelix has established an integrated GPCR early discovery platform spanning protein preparation, structural determination, and antibody discovery. Our proprietary MegaR, MegAb, and OmniCatchr technologies systematically address key challenges in GPCR early drug discovery. Through this collaboration with Bayer, we look forward to leveraging Bayer‘s deep expertise and global perspective in innovative drug development to further advance our platform, empower partners worldwide to accelerate GPCR therapeutic discovery, and ultimately benefit patients globally.“

Alphelix is a biotech focused on GPCR-related technology services. It has established a globally leading integrated early drug discovery platform encompassing protein preparation, structural determination, and antibody discovery, and has formed long-term partnerships with MNCs and leading biotech. Alphelix’s proprietary MegaR platform has overcome key technical bottlenecks in the industrial-scale production of purified GPCR proteins and the cryo-EM structure of GPCRs in the apo and inactive states. Leveraging this platform, Alphelix has built a library of over 170 purified GPCR proteins maintained in basal-state and active-state and has successfully resolved dozens of cryo-EM structures. In addition, the MegAb and OmniCatchr platforms systematically address the critical challenges of functional GPCR antibody discovery from 0-to-1 and enable high-throughput functional screenings.

Bayer Co.Lab, a global co-creation platform, officially landed in China in September 2024. With Arbele and Alphelix joining as new residents, Bayer Co.Lab has expanded its China resident base to 12 and strengthened a diversified biotech innovation cluster across modalities and platform technologies, including small molecules, nucleic acids, cyclic peptides, antibody platforms, gene editing, AI-enabled discovery, and membrane proteins technologies. Bayer Co.Lab continues to build connections across its global network and extend its footprint in China. In September 2025, Bayer Co.Lab AdVenture was launched as its inaugural global platform connecting with venture capital partners. In November 2025, Bayer Co.Lab opened its site at BioPark in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.
As a pioneering global network of life science incubators, Bayer Co.Lab accelerates scientific breakthroughs by fostering open innovation within biotech ecosystems. With strategic locations at key innovation hubs in China, the United States, Germany, and Japan, Bayer Co.Lab empowers visionary startups with state-of-the-art facilities and tailored mentorship to transform groundbreaking ideas into impactful healthcare solutions.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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