Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research
Institute have signed a research collaboration and license agreement to
discover novel therapeutic antibodies against an undisclosed
immuno-oncology (I-O) target.
“Bristol-Myers Squibb continues to invest in strategic partnerships that
accelerate the discovery and development of novel immunotherapies
through innovative science and technologies,” said Carl Decicco, Ph.D.,
Head of Discovery, R&D, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We are excited to work
with QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, a partner that brings
significant experience and expertise in cancer research.”
“QIMR Berghofer is committed to translational research, so it is
gratifying when high quality research at the Institute results in the
strategic collaboration announced today,” said Professor Frank Gannon,
QIMR Berghofer Director and CEO. “Bristol-Myers Squibb is the ideal
partner to progress these assets to the clinic, with their world-leading
expertise in immuno-oncology and a proven track record developing
multiple cancer therapies on the market. We look forward to a fruitful,
long-term collaboration, delivering new therapies for cancer patients.”
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute is a world leading
translational research institute focused on cancer, infectious diseases,
mental health and a range of complex disorders. Bristol-Myers Squibb
will be solely responsible for clinical development and
commercialization of antibodies discovered through the collaboration.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Immuno-Oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb
Surgery, radiation, cytotoxic or targeted therapies have represented the
mainstay of cancer treatment over the last several decades, but
long-term survival and a positive quality of life have remained elusive
for many patients with advanced disease.
To address this unmet medical need, Bristol-Myers Squibb is leading
research in an innovative field of cancer research and treatment known
as Immuno-Oncology, which involves agents whose primary mechanism is to
work directly with the body’s immune system to fight cancer. The company
is exploring a variety of compounds and immunotherapeutic approaches for
patients with different types of cancer, including researching the
potential of combining Immuno-Oncology agents that target different
pathways in the treatment of cancer.
Bristol-Myers Squibb is committed to advancing the science of
Immuno-Oncology, with the goal of changing survival expectations and the
way patients live with cancer.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission
is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help
patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information, please
visit www.bms.com
or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmsnews.
About QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
The QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute is a world leading
translational research institute focused on cancer, infectious diseases,
mental health and a range of complex disorders. Working in close
collaboration with clinicians and other research institutes, our aim is
to improve health by developing new diagnostics, better treatments and
prevention strategies. For more information about QIMR Berghofer, visit www.qimrberghofer.edu.au.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term
is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
regarding the research, development and commercialization of
pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are
based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and
uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any
of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ
materially from current expectations. No forward-looking
statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no
guarantee that the collaboration agreement mentioned in this release
will lead to identifying a pre-clinical candidate. Nor is
there any guarantee that if one is identified, it will be successfully
developed or approved for any of the indications described in this
release. Forward-looking statements in this press release should
be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect
Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the
cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 in our Quarterly Reports
on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers
Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
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