
Cell therapy has the potential to revolutionize the way scientists approach addressing blood cancers. Since the integration of Bristol Myers Squibb and Celgene – and with it, Juno, a pioneer in the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapeutics – cell therapy research has been a core pillar of Bristol Myers Squibb’s cancer research efforts.
The company has a diverse pipeline advancing early- and late-stage CAR T therapies in blood cancers, including multiple myeloma, lymphoma and leukemia. Autologous CAR T cell therapies seek to modify the patient’s own T cells to recognize and bind to proteins found on the surface of cancer cells, with limited expression on normal cells.
While there have been some notable successes in the cell therapy space, especially in blood cancers, fulfilling the promise of cell therapy requires continued innovation. Bristol Myers Squibb is investing in the future of cell therapy in myriad ways, including engineering next-generation approaches that leverage translational insights and tackle the numerous challenges of solid tumors. In addition, Bristol Myers Squibb is investing in improved manufacturing platforms and “off-the-shelf” approaches – to advance the science as quickly as possible for patients.
“Our cell therapy program represents just one of many areas of cancer research at Bristol Myers Squibb – and in cell therapy alone we’re relentlessly pursuing multiple early approaches, in collaboration with several leading research partners,” said Kristen Hege, senior vice president, Early Clinical Development, Oncology/Hematology and Cell Therapy. “We think there is significant future opportunity, which is why we’re leaving no stone unturned. By looking at all these different areas in cell therapy, we’re poised to move quickly on the approaches that the science shows will provide the greatest benefit for patients.”