Bristol-Myers Squibb focuses on innovation at CIIE

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has pledged to put more resources in China and to drive local innovation in all sectors and vows to work with stakeholders along with top talent in the country.

“We plan to once again leverage the China International Import Expo (CIIE), an open exchange platform for cutting-edge technology, innovation and inspiration, to show the world our new brand and new vision, our patient-centric breakthrough innovations, as well as our firm commitment to accelerating introduction of our innovative medicines to patients in China,” Chen Siyuan, general manager of Bristol Myers Squibb Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, said during an interview with Shanghai Daily.

During the second CIIE, it entered a strategic partnership with Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holding) Co regarding the immunoncology treatment Opdivo® and it views the CIIE as an important platform for local partnership.

“We are bringing more innovative products and partnerships to this year’s expo. Improving accessibility for Chinese patients remains our top priority,” she said.

Following successful integration with Celgene, BMS officially unveiled its new corporate brand globally and in China, which fully embodies its new vision: transforming patients’ lives through science.

Immuno-oncology is a treatment to harness the body’s own immune system to fight against cancer.

BMS has the world’s first PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo®, as well as the world’s first and currently only approved dual immunotherapy combination consisting of Opdivo® and Yervoy®.

The combination of Opdivo® and Ipilimumab is the only immunotherapy drug combination resulting from a collaboration with a Nobel Prize winner in physiology or medicine.

BMS is also bringing many new products in their hematology and immunology pipelines to the expo. These include two breakthrough drugs approved by the US FDA: Luspatercept-aamt, the first medicine approved for patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in more than a decade; and Ozanimod, an oral medicine for the treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.

BMS will also present two medicines that are being developed in China as part of global programs, Deucravacitinib (TYK2i), which is expected to bring major changes in the field of immunology, and Pegbelfermin (PEGylated FGF21), an innovative drug for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

The company is making every effort to accelerate the introduction of these breakthrough innovative products into China to benefit Chinese patients.

“Over the next five years, BMS plans to introduce nearly 30 innovative products and indications into China, many of which are expected to be first-in-class or best-in-class treatments,” said Chen.

It announced a series of innovative collaborations with local partners to improve access to innovative drugs for more Chinese patients.

With an 800-square-meter booth which is designed under the theme “Crown of Innovation,” BMS uses innovative, high-tech exhibits to show visitors their cutting-edge technologies, R&D platform and innovative pipeline at the CIIE.

“It’s important to have a local team to bring innovative products here according to local market specific conditions so that we can better connect with latest cutting-edge research outcomes from the global side,” she added.

On June 9, BMS’s dual immunotherapy combination made up of Opdivo® and Yervoy® (Ipilimumab) was included in the list of 51 cancer drugs to be introduced through the Hainan Free Trade Port Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone.

Patients in Lecheng will be able to apply to use this treatment option for approved indications.

“We want to be actively involved in these innovative payment models and to better leverage the improvements in the clinical registration procedure to include China into new product launches consistently with other overseas markets,” she said.

A leader in innovation, BMS has introduced 14 new medicines globally for patients since 2011.

In the 38 years since BMS first entered China, the company has launched nearly 40 prescription and over-the-counter drugs in the country, making BMS a market leader in many therapeutic areas.

BMS has also explored innovative payment models and has actively worked with local governments for local supplementary and private health programs and support the establishment of a multi-layered insurance and payment system.

For example, it has worked with Zhuhai to include oncology products into the city’s additional supplementary medical insurance program in order to enhance accessibility to innovative immuno-oncology drugs.

Innovative business models have also been something BMS has been actively exploring.

It has entered into collaborations with e-commerce giants such as JD.com and Alibaba to improve accessibility for patients.

In January this year, the rheumatoid arthritis medicine Abatacept (Orencia®), co-developed by BMS and Simcere in China, was approved by the NMPA, with Simcere being responsible for domestic commercial promotion.

“Talent is at the core of our strategy and we want top talent to help drive forward business initiatives and we want to become an attractive employer for Chinese employees especially for top talent,” she said.

Four clinical trials for hematology covering therapeutic areas with urgent clinical needs, including acute myeloid leukemia, myelofibrosis, myelodysplastic syndromes and thalassemia, are underway in China.

As for immunology, there are eight ongoing clinical trials in different stages in China, covering psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and lupus nephritis.

“I feel deeply motivated by the determination to bring innovative products to China as soon as possible and I remain passionate to work relentlessly to improve patients’ lives.”

Chen noted that her team and colleagues also fully understand the pressing time frame for patients who have serious diseases so working under a tight pace is also a shared culture.

“We have also spent a lot of efforts to make sure our working place is inclusive and encourage diversity, so that we can become more productive by bringing different angles and perspectives into the teamwork,” she added.

As it adds new headcount in the near future along with new product launches in China, Chen noted that she wants to bring new talent to join the team and like-minded people to communicate with each other and deliver the best results.

“Diversity and Inclusion is our core culture value and we think our cutting-edge research results and product pipelines would be able to attract top-level talent,” she added.

“How we can drive collaboration together with our colleagues and to carry through our strategy and latest business initiatives under shared value is crucial for us.”

“It’s also crucial for the team to have a shared vision to aim for, and by combining our cutting-edge research projects and drug candidates and our local team efforts that truly adopt innovative thinking, I believe we can be a truly leading company in the industry.”

“Moving forward, we will continue to support the realization of Healthy China 2030 by accelerating the introduction of breakthrough innovative medicines to patients in China,” she said.