Bristol-Myers Squibb and Indian CRO Syngene Extend Research Partnership

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Syngene International, a contract research organization (CRO) from India and a subsidiary of Biocon, announced in a press release that they would be extending their drug discovery and development activities. The partnership is a five-year extension of a previous collaboration begun in 2007 at the Biocon Bristol-Myers Squibb Research Center (BBRC) in Bangalore, India.

Francis Cuss, EVP and CSO of Bristol-Myers Squibb, said, “The BBRC has supported the nonclinical development of a large proportion of our small-molecule portfolio assets since its inception, and is a premier example of the high-quality innovative drug hunting that is taking place in India today.” Peter Bains, director of Syngene International, said, “The scope of Syngene’s engagement has expanded to encompass a broad range of integrated service offerings across the drug discovery and development continuum.”

BMS and Syngene Partnership

The latest BMS and Syngene collaboration is a five-year extension of the drug development program in India. The two companies did not disclose financial details. At the BBRC facility in Bangalore, the two companies have been working together since 2007 on a wide range of activities, including pharmacokinetics, biomarkers, and pharmaceutical development. That facility is BMS’ largest research center outside the United States, with over 400 scientists.

BMS extended the partnership due to the success of the previous collaboration. The two companies produced six drug candidates while reducing the time and cost in advancing the agents in the trial process. Early work in small molecules enabled the two companies to advance candidates forward, and one of the drug candidates discovered at the BBRC is now in clinical trials.

BMS India Investment

BMS’s research and development investment in India is extensive. The Biocon Bristol-Myers Squibb Research Center (BBRC) began from an outsourcing model begun with Biocon in 1997. It developed into a major R&D site for BMS and functions as a research center in the region with training, symposiums, and research funding. BMS currently has clinical trials underway at that site and in other parts of India for diabetes and liver disease. The company expects to conduct additional trials in diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, liver cancer, and cardiovascular disease with Syngene’s assistance.