Dear Global Health Partner,

Greetings. We hope this communication finds you healthy and in good spirits.

Over the past years, we have been honored to work with you on cooperative efforts to address the needs of patients with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Our collaborative research has contributed to the knowledge of drug discovery for these diseases, and our discoveries and advances are to the benefit of the patients suffering across the globe.

Bristol Myers Squibb is moving forward as a new, combined company after last year’s acquisition of Celgene. With continued focus on vulnerable patients, we are redirecting our support of worldwide health initiatives. Moving forward, we will enable the global research community in the neglected disease and antimicrobial resistance fields by providing access to our entire Global Health compound collection. The >4000-member library will be licensed to our long-time partner, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Geneva. In addition, Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to furthering the important work of MMV and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), and will provide charitable donations, totaling USD 1 million, to support the mission of both organizations.

In the coming weeks, representatives from the BMS Global Health research team will work with our NTD partners to ensure the appropriate conclusion of current joint R&D efforts and will facilitate each partner’s access to the compound collection to empower future research.

Although our strategic direction has evolved, BMS remains committed to addressing global health disparities through the work of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. The Foundation will continue its long history of improving the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases by strengthening healthcare worker capacity, integrating medical care, enabling community-based supportive services, and mobilizing communities in the fight against disease in the US, Africa, China and Brazil. Additionally, we feel that by making our library freely accessible to our partners, new drug discovery efforts will be seeded in the NTD and antimicrobial resistance fields.

With kind regards on behalf of the Global Health Team,

Rupert Vessey, M.A., B.M., B.Ch., F.R.C.P., D.Phil. 
Executive Vice President and President
Research and Early Development