Pharmaceutical giant Bayer Healthcare is tying up with research centres in Singapore in the fight against cancer especially in Asia.

The Integrated Translational Oncology Network will look closely at drug discovery for cancers that affect Asians. This includes liver and gastric cancers, which rank among the top ten cancer killers in Singapore. The network is supported by the Economic Development Board and partners include the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Organisations involved will help organise meetings, workshops and lectures on the subject.

Bayer's country division head for Singapore Thomas Steffen said the Singapore's multi-ethnic population "affords us greater clinical insights to the disease biology of Asian prevalent cancers".