A global journey through BMS’ R&D hubs

From discoveries in targeted protein degradation to new frontiers in neuroscience research, innovation pulses through every corner of Bristol Myers Squibb’s global Research & Development (R&D) footprint across the U.S., EU and Asia.

What connects these hubs of innovation across mountains, oceans and continents? The company’s foundational R&D principles, which facilitate ideas from their earliest scientific hypothesis to the regulatory approval and delivery of new, transformational therapies to patients. Leveraging this comprehensive approach, along with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to decode complex biology and improve the success of drug discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb’s global research and development teams are equipped to quickly and efficiently address the needs of patients living with difficult-to-treat diseases worldwide.

On each stop on this tour, discover how innovative R&D facilities harness unique capabilities to tackle the toughest problems in healthcare — all through the lens of the company’s five R&D principles.

Exploring causal human biology: Spotlighting R&D innovations in Cambridge and Seattle

Though on opposite sides of the U.S., Cambridge, MA, and Seattle, WA both have teams advancing cancer research and, in different ways, modeling the first R&D principle — causal human biology — which involves using human data, such as genetics and vast datasets, to evaluate potential relationships between disease development and progression and determine the best therapeutic targets to research.

At the Cambridge site, Bristol Myers Squibb’s cross-functional scientific teams collaborate throughout the drug discovery and translational medicine continuum to research novel approaches to cancer treatment, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), to target cancer-specific vulnerabilities and overcome cancer cell resistance to traditional therapies. The Seattle-based team applies a deep understanding of the role of the immune system in the progression and development of cancer to design and develop novel therapies that have the potential to enhance or restore the body’s ability to fight cancer. 

“The collaborative atmosphere is what fuels our team’s approach to cancer research,” shares Emma Lees, PhD, senior vice president, head of Oncology Thematic Research Center, Cambridge site head. "We use our deep understanding of causal human biology to uncover the fundamental drivers of cancer and how it evolves and resists treatment. This allows us to identify the right targets, develop more precise therapies and match the optimal treatment approaches to the appropriate patients.”

Matching modality to mechanism: Highlights from Bristol Myers Squibb’s protein degradation hub in California

San Diego, CA, is the hub of Bristol Myers Squibb’s groundbreaking targeted protein degradation research and a prime example of the second R&D principle, matching modality to molecular mechanism of action. Leveraging a strong understanding of causal human biology, researchers look across a broad toolbox of research platforms and modalities to identify the most promising therapeutic approach to affect the biological mechanism of disease. AI and ML are also being used to examine vast amounts of data, helping researchers further accelerate the discovery of novel disease targets and degrader molecules.

In San Diego, researchers are harnessing the body’s built-in cellular protein recycling system to degrade disease-causing proteins that were once considered “undruggable.”

“Targeted protein degradation is an exciting new modality that enables us to pursue many targets that were previously thought to be undruggable” says Neil Bence, PhD, senior vice president, head of Protein Homeostasis Thematic Research Center, San Diego site head. “We have the privilege of building on decades of scientific insight and discovery, now propelled by cutting-edge predictive technologies that further accelerate the pace of advancement. With multiple protein degrader approaches like molecular glues, ligand-directed degraders and degrader-antibody conjugates in our pipeline, our team in San Diego can essentially match the targeted protein degradation modality to the desired molecular mechanism of action to identify new drug candidates with the potential to benefit patients.”

Paving the way to clinical proof-of-concept: Insights from around the U.S.

The third R&D principle focuses on the path to clinical proof-of-concept, as exemplified by the company’s extensive neuroscience research. Despite decades of research into the complexity of the brain, there is still much to understand. That’s why it takes more than a village — it takes a multi-regional, cross-functional scientific effort. Bristol Myers Squibb researchers from central New Jersey to San Diego to Cambridge are breaking through physical and disciplinary boundaries to drive progress in this multifaceted therapeutic area, where patients continue to face significant unmet needs.

Ensuring a path to clinical proof-of-concept involves targeted patient and endpoint selection to improve the speed and probability of success of clinical trials. Incorporating translational endpoints, such as accessible biomarkers to provide insights into if and how investigational medicines might work, is not only essential in achieving these goals but also reflects the innovative approach we leverage as Bristol Myers Squibb continues to advance research in this evolving space.

“Biomarker advancements are critical to helping us select the appropriate patients and measure the impact of investigational therapies on the underlying disease process,” says Ken Rhodes, vice president, head of Neuroscience Thematic Research Center. “One of the unique challenges in neuroscience is that we can’t take tissue samples from the brain to see how our therapies are working. But we now have these fantastic neuroimaging techniques, which give us a non-invasive way to understand important aspects of a medicine’s effects on disease. Moreover, we can use these imaging tools in real-time to match the right patient with the most appropriate medicine to potentially treat their disease.”

Accelerating patient access to paradigm-shifting medicines around the world

From Boudry, Switzerland, all the way to the Pacific Northwest and the Bay Area, researchers are advancing the potential of allogeneic and autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies. R&D teams at Bristol Myers Squibb collaborate closely to optimize clinical trial designs, including patient engagement and enrichment strategies, to enable the discovery of new medicines faster and more effectively.

Because autologous CAR T is made specifically for each individual patient, the manufacturing is complex, requiring close coordination across sites and healthcare facilities. Scientists at these sites are also working to make these therapies more efficient, scalable and accessible by exploring allogeneic therapeutic options. Allogeneic, or “off-the-shelf,” CAR T cell therapy is an investigational, next-generation approach in which reprogrammed T cells of healthy donors — rather than a patient’s own T cells — can be delivered to patients with shorter manufacturing wait time. Novel cell-based therapies like CAR T are highly personalized treatment options and illustrate the last two steps of the R&D principles — specifically, showcasing the company’s focus on accelerating development timelines in the hopes of delivering medicines that address the root cause of disease, potentially providing durable remission and ensuring these treatments are available to patients who urgently need them around the world.

“Cell therapies are revolutionizing treatment for tough diseases; beyond traditional therapeutic areas, we’re exploring them in immunology, neuroinflammatory conditions and solid tumors,” says Mike Burgess, MD, PhD, senior vice president, Cell Therapy Thematic Research Center, Translational Medicine & Clinical Pharmacology. “We’re focused on transformational efficacy, innovating across targets, modalities and combinations while scaling manufacturing and pioneering advanced technologies like dual CAR and allogeneic programs to accelerate patient access.”

If one thing is clear, it’s that innovation thrives in connection and is never confined by geography. Guided by end-to-end R&D principles and fueled by expert teams and state-of-the-art technologies like AI and ML, Bristol Myers Squibb’s global teams are pursuing bold solutions to transform patient care and outcomes.