Embark on our journey in personalised medicines

To bring CAR T therapies closer to patients in Europe, we are building our first European CAR T cell therapy production centre in Leiden, the Netherlands.
,
EA4C17

Follow the latest news

Onboarding
Onboarding

January 2023

New Year, new faces

New Year, new series of onboardings in our Leiden team! We are thrilled to welcome 18 talented individuals in our growing BMS family, and we look forward to the positive contributions they will make. We are excited to see the innovative ideas that each new employee will bring to the table to reach our main objective to get Cell Therapy closer to European patients.

December 2022

A new onboarding day to end the year in style!

New month, new talent joining our BMS Leiden team. During the December onboarding days, our latest colleagues to join the BMS family in 2022, were warmly welcomed.

Interested in joining the BMS family and making a difference in patients’ lives? Be sure to check out our vacancies.

Onboarding

December 2022

A new onboarding day to end the year in style!

New month, new talent joining our BMS Leiden team. During the December onboarding days, our latest colleagues to join the BMS family in 2022, were warmly welcomed.

Interested in joining the BMS family and making a difference in patients’ lives? Be sure to check out our vacancies.

EU Talenton
EU Talenton

24 November 2022

Construction update

After spending more than 250,000 manhours to date the building of our first European Cell Therapy facility is getting its shape! It has been a pleasure watching the development of the building, from the first pile in October 2021 to where we are now.

A big thank you to the building crew, the engineers, the architects, and everyone involved in this project.

We are looking forward to settling into the new facility in July 2023 and start testing and continuing to transform patient’s lives through science. Our site in Leiden is expected to become operational ready for manufacturing of investigational cell therapy product end 2024.

November 2022

12 new talents on board!

The BMS family keeps expanding and we were very happy to welcome 12 new members in Leiden during our November onboarding days.  

Interested in joining the BMS family and making a difference in patients’ lives? Be sure to check out our vacancies here

Onboarding November

November 2022

12 new talents on board!

The BMS family keeps expanding and we were very happy to welcome 12 new members in Leiden during our November onboarding days.  

Interested in joining the BMS family and making a difference in patients’ lives? Be sure to check out our vacancies here

Onboarding October
Onboarding October

October 2022

Onboarding day

We are always pleased to welcome new talent and during the month of October no less than nine new faces joined our Leiden team. 

Interested in joining the BMS family and making a difference in patients’ lives? Be sure to check out our vacancies here.

16 September 2022

Working meeting ministries

We were honoured to welcome the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Change on the building site of our future CAR T production centre in the Leiden Bio Science Park.

It was a great opportunity to discuss the business climate in the Netherlands, recruitment and education of the workforce, collaboration with external partners, supply chain and resource management of innovative medicines and certification of CAR T treatment centres in the Netherlands.

EU Talenton

16 September 2022

Working meeting ministries

We were honoured to welcome the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Change on the building site of our future CAR T production centre in the Leiden Bio Science Park.

It was a great opportunity to discuss the business climate in the Netherlands, recruitment and education of the workforce, collaboration with external partners, supply chain and resource management of innovative medicines and certification of CAR T treatment centres in the Netherlands.

EU Talenton
EU Talenton

14 September 2022

TalentOn

Bright Young Minds together! Ann Emmerechts has been shedding the light on the regulatory challenges with novel anti-cancer therapies at the @European Commission @EU TalentOn, that took place from 14 to 17 September in Leiden.

#TalentOn is an event for young academics from all over Europe, challenging them to use their minds to shape the future. Read more about the projects here.

1 September 2022

Topping off ceremony in Leiden

It’s done! The last beam of steel was lifted onto our first European Cell Therapy manufacturing facility in Leiden, topping off our future building and completing the structural steelwork.

Bristol Myers Squibb Executive Director, Global Engineering Anthony Cable and Benelux General Manager Sally Ann McNab joined us during the traditional topping off ceremony at the Leiden Bio Science Park. We look forward to this facility bringing cell therapy closer to patients in Europe.

A big round of applause for everyone who made this happen!

Group of people

1 September 2022

Topping off ceremony in Leiden

It’s done! The last beam of steel was lifted onto our first European Cell Therapy manufacturing facility in Leiden, topping off our future building and completing the structural steelwork.

Bristol Myers Squibb Executive Director, Global Engineering Anthony Cable and Benelux General Manager Sally Ann McNab joined us during the traditional topping off ceremony at the Leiden Bio Science Park. We look forward to this facility bringing cell therapy closer to patients in Europe.

A big round of applause for everyone who made this happen!

Onboarding August
Onboarding August

August 2022

The Leiden family keeps growing!

Our Leiden team expanded in August and September with the addition of many new faces. In total, 30 new talents joined the team.

27 July 2022

Almost a roof above our heads

How exciting it is to see the evolution of our first European cell therapy production site in Leiden. Here you see the progress of the building, with the last pieces of foundation and the first concrete on the roof.

Collage constructie

27 July 2022

Almost a roof above our heads

How exciting it is to see the evolution of our first European cell therapy production site in Leiden. Here you see the progress of the building, with the last pieces of foundation and the first concrete on the roof.

Group of people
Group of people

July 2022

Onboarding day

More new faces at Bristol Myers Squibb in Leiden! This month, we’ve welcomed and onboarded no less than 8 new colleagues. Such a joy to see our Leiden team growing and growing!


Do you also want to be part of our first European cell therapy production site in Leiden? Take a look at our job opportunities here

9 July 2022

Training for C2C4C in Leiden

Our Benelux Country2Country4Cancer team is in full training mode to cycle in September to raise awareness for cancer research and European cancer organisations that are members of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Last weekend, the team did a tour in the region of Leiden. The cherry on the cake was a visit to our construction site in the Leiden Bio Science Park, where we are building our first European Cell therapy production facility to bring CAR T closer to European patients. Sally Ann McNab and Arjen Schippers who cycled with the team were proud to show the excellent progress of the construction works.

Bikers

9 July 2022

Training for C2C4C in Leiden

Our Benelux Country2Country4Cancer team is in full training mode to cycle in September to raise awareness for cancer research and European cancer organisations that are members of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Last weekend, the team did a tour in the region of Leiden. The cherry on the cake was a visit to our construction site in the Leiden Bio Science Park, where we are building our first European Cell therapy production facility to bring CAR T closer to European patients. Sally Ann McNab and Arjen Schippers who cycled with the team were proud to show the excellent progress of the construction works.

Collage constructie
Collage constructie

30 June 2022

Starting to look like a building

Construction work on our first European production facility for CAR T cell therapy is progressing rapidly!

June 2022

Onboarding day

Welcome to all new colleagues! They are now part of an exciting journey to bring CAR T cell therapy closer to European patients.

Also interested? Check out the latest vacancies in BMS’ first European Cell Therapy Facility in Leiden, the Netherlands via this link.

Group of people

June 2022

Onboarding day

Welcome to all new colleagues! They are now part of an exciting journey to bring CAR T cell therapy closer to European patients.

Also interested? Check out the latest vacancies in BMS’ first European Cell Therapy Facility in Leiden, the Netherlands via this link.

family day
family day

17 June 2022

Family day @ Leiden

On the occasion of 'Dag van de Bouw' in the Netherlands (June 18th) Arjen Schippers and Derek Finn invited everybody working on getting our first European Cell therapy facility ready to bring their families to Leiden. On the agenda: a guided tour of the Bristol Myers Squibb construction site at the Leiden Bio Science Park.

Showing our loved ones how and where we will bring these personalized therapies closer to European patients was a fantastic experience. They could feel our proudness when we showed how we are contributing to the future of medicine.  

30 May 2022

BMS speaks at the Global Impact in Health Symposium in Leiden

Anne Kerber, Senior VP and Head of Cell Therapy Development at BMS, spoke at the Symposium about the importance of equity and diversity in clinical trials to deliver better science and outcomes for patients.

Learn more about why health equity is important and how BMS is taking action.

30 May 2022

BMS speaks at the Global Impact in Health Symposium in Leiden

Anne Kerber, Senior VP and Head of Cell Therapy Development at BMS, spoke at the Symposium about the importance of equity and diversity in clinical trials to deliver better science and outcomes for patients.

Learn more about why health equity is important and how BMS is taking action.

group photo
group photo

May 2022

13 new colleagues joined!

We had the pleasure to welcome more new colleagues in Leiden, where we are building our first European Cell therapy production site.

If you are keen to join our team in Leiden to bring CAR T cell therapy closer to cancer patients in Europe, click here to view a list of our current open roles: career page.

13 May 2022

Progress with the steelwork

Excellent progress has been made with the steelwork. The building is shaping up nicely and all construction works are progressing according to plan. Stay tuned!

Leiden metal framework

13 May 2022

Progress with the steelwork

Excellent progress has been made with the steelwork. The building is shaping up nicely and all construction works are progressing according to plan. Stay tuned!

li post innovationquarter
li post innovationquarter

2 May 2022

Interview with Arjen Schippers and InnovationQuarter

Read the interview with Arjen Schippers, Senior Director and Program Head of Europe Cell Therapy Facility at Bristol Myers Squibb about what he has worked on over the last year with support from InnovationQuarter and what can be expected in the coming months.

Read the full article by clicking on this link.

March 2022

9 more colleagues joined us at Leiden

An extra 9 colleagues have chosen a career where their work will change the lives of patients. We are still looking for many profiles, if ground-breaking work drives you, join us in helping to bring cancer-fighting CAR T Cell Therapies to patients across Europe.

Construction site with machine

March 2022

9 more colleagues joined us at Leiden

An extra 9 colleagues have chosen a career where their work will change the lives of patients. We are still looking for many profiles, if ground-breaking work drives you, join us in helping to bring cancer-fighting CAR T Cell Therapies to patients across Europe.

logo bcf
logo bcf

15 February 2022

Virtual Career Event BCF Career

Arjan Schippers welcomed many interested potential co-workers for the new CAR T Cell Therapy facility in Leiden. He talked about how you can create a meaningful career and bring new hope to cancer patients.

Join BMS in Leiden, and you'll work alongside the best and the brightest of the healthcare industry to try new things, solve the toughest challenges and create miracles. See our spotlight vacancies

February 2022

First steel is going up

It's full steam ahead on our Leiden construction site. The first steel nearly arrived, and is up already. So far, the construction of our very first European cell therapy facility in Leiden is progressing as planned. Stay tuned!

Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site

February 2022

First steel is going up

It's full steam ahead on our Leiden construction site. The first steel nearly arrived, and is up already. So far, the construction of our very first European cell therapy facility in Leiden is progressing as planned. Stay tuned!

Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site
Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site

January 2022

Foundation works completed

In January, we lay the foundation of the building. It will essentially be standing on 591 piles driven to a depth of 30 meters through soil, then sea water to reach deep compacted sand. We have successfully installed almost all 591 piles and completed on track this month. 

October 2021

BCF Career Event in Utrecht 

We are present at the BCF Career Event in Utrecht, the largest science job fair.  What an energy we felt to meet again in-person and to tell how we transform the lives of millions of people through innovation and science. 

We are hiring for our first cell therapy facility in Leiden, and we have some great opportunities. Check the spotlight vacancies here.

Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site

October 2021

BCF Career Event in Utrecht 

We are present at the BCF Career Event in Utrecht, the largest science job fair.  What an energy we felt to meet again in-person and to tell how we transform the lives of millions of people through innovation and science. 

We are hiring for our first cell therapy facility in Leiden, and we have some great opportunities. Check the spotlight vacancies here.

Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site
Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site

28 October 2021

Bristol Myers Squibb starts construction of its European therapy facility and marks it with a Celebration Event

Bristol Myers Squibb celebrated the start of the construction of its first European cell therapy facility at the Leiden Bio Science Park in the Netherlands.

The celebration event was concluded with Arjen Schippers, Program Head of Europe Cell Therapy Facility, raising the flag on the new site: “Like the first man on the moon, I am really honoured to plant the BMS flag in Europe. Let this be the symbol of our commitment to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines to help patients prevail over serious diseases.”

22 April 2021

Bristol Myers Squibb chooses Leiden Bio Science Park as the European site for a new CAR T cell therapy facility

By building this production facility, BMS is investing in the expansion of its global network to bring cell therapy closer to the European patient. In doing so, the organisation is expanding its capacity to treat patients.

Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site

22 April 2021

Bristol Myers Squibb chooses Leiden Bio Science Park as the European site for a new CAR T cell therapy facility

By building this production facility, BMS is investing in the expansion of its global network to bring cell therapy closer to the European patient. In doing so, the organisation is expanding its capacity to treat patients.

Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site
Three workers in helmets standing in front of building site

2019

Bristol Myers Squibb acquires Celgene 

Bristol Myers Squibb and Celgene come together to create a leading biopharma company positioned to address the needs of patients with serious diseases.

2017

FDA approves First CAR T therapy 

The first CAR T therapy is approved in 2017 for the treatment of young adult and pediatric patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 

CAR T Therapy

2017

FDA approves First CAR T therapy 

The first CAR T therapy is approved in 2017 for the treatment of young adult and pediatric patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 

CAR T cells and blood cancer
CAR T cells and blood cancer

2016

CAR T Cells Show Promise in Blood Cancers

Multiple clinical trials show CAR T cell therapy has promising results in treating patients with relapsed or refractory B- cell malignancies, including acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which typically all have a poor prognosis despite the use of aggressive therapies.

2015

First Approved PD-1 Inhibitors

Following the approval of the first anti-CTLA-4 therapy three years earlier, nivolumab, one the first anti-PD-1 therapies, is approved by the FDA. This anti-PD1 antibody drug targets the PD-1 receptor in the patient’s body, which is the protein on the surface of cells that has a role in regulating the immune system’s response.

T cell and tumor cell

2015

First Approved PD-1 Inhibitors

Following the approval of the first anti-CTLA-4 therapy three years earlier, nivolumab, one the first anti-PD-1 therapies, is approved by the FDA. This anti-PD1 antibody drug targets the PD-1 receptor in the patient’s body, which is the protein on the surface of cells that has a role in regulating the immune system’s response.

IO/IO clinical trials
IO/IO clinical trials

2013

Initiation of I-O/I-O Combination Clinical Trials

Initiation of the first late-stage I-O/I-O combination clinical trials combining a CTLA-4 inhibitor with a PD-1 inhibitor. This trial contributes to the approval of the first I-O/I-O combination treatment in 2015.

Cancer Immunotherapy Named “Breakthrough of the Year”

Science Magazine names cancer immunotherapy as the “Breakthrough of the Year” following a period of significant advancement in I-O research.

2012

CAR T Therapy Shows Promise in Cancer Treatment

Emma Whitehead, a six-year-old with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, receives an experimental treatment that used a disabled form of the HIV virus to reset the immune system to kill cancer cells genetically. The successful treatment helped to launch the explosion of CAR T development. 

CAR T Therapy for cancer treatment

2012

CAR T Therapy Shows Promise in Cancer Treatment

Emma Whitehead, a six-year-old with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, receives an experimental treatment that used a disabled form of the HIV virus to reset the immune system to kill cancer cells genetically. The successful treatment helped to launch the explosion of CAR T development. 

I-O therapy
I-O therapy

2011

The first modern I-O therapy

In 2011, Bristol Myers Squibb brought the first modern cancer I-O therapy to patients by launching ipilimumab, the first anti-CTLA 4 therapy, in 2011 to treat metastatic melanoma. The approval encourages further study of I-O treatments and drives more than one thousand clinical trials in the years that follow. 

2010

D-L1 Identified as a Biomarker of Response to Anti-PD-1 Therapy

An early clinical study evaluating PD-1 inhibition provides the first piece of evidence that expression of PD-L1 (a cell surface protein involved in immune response) may be a predictive biomarker of response to I-O therapy.

Scientist hands

2010

D-L1 Identified as a Biomarker of Response to Anti-PD-1 Therapy

An early clinical study evaluating PD-1 inhibition provides the first piece of evidence that expression of PD-L1 (a cell surface protein involved in immune response) may be a predictive biomarker of response to I-O therapy.

Genome
Genome

2003

The Human Genome Project Concludes

The Human Genome Project, the world’s largest collaborative biological project, concludes its 13-year program determining the sequence of chemical base pairs that make up human DNA and mapping the human genome. This research continues to help scientists identify genetic changes and malfunctions that contribute to cancer.

1993

CAR T is born

The first CAR T cells are made by Israeli immunologist Zelig Eshhar. Eshhar and his colleagues demonstrate that CAR T cell therapy could redirect T cell killing to foreign proteins.

CAR T Cells treatment for cancer

1993

CAR T is born

The first CAR T cells are made by Israeli immunologist Zelig Eshhar. Eshhar and his colleagues demonstrate that CAR T cell therapy could redirect T cell killing to foreign proteins.

Taxane-Based Chemotherapy
Taxane-Based Chemotherapy

1991

Taxane-Based Chemotherapy

The National Cancer Institute signs a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Bristol Myers Squibb to help develop a taxane-based chemotherapy originally derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. The medicine is eventually approved for multiple indications, including breast, ovarian and lung cancer. Over time, taxane-based chemotherapy has become a mainstay in cancer treatment due to its unique mechanism of action.

1952 - 1980

Major Advances in New Cancer Treatments Approved by the FDA

As of 1952, advances in cancer research drive a wave of new cancer drug approvals, with more than 20 new therapies launched over the next three decades, such as  HYDREA® (hydroxyurea), Squibb’s first anti-cancer treatment in 1967 or the introduction by Bristol Laboratories of MUTAMYCIN® (mytomycin) for the treatment of bone cancer and stomach and pancreatic tumors, cancer chemotherapy agent Blenoxane® (bleomycin sulfate) for the treatment of squamous cell cancers, head and neck cancers and Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, and many more.

Cancer cells

1952 - 1980

Major Advances in New Cancer Treatments Approved by the FDA

As of 1952, advances in cancer research drive a wave of new cancer drug approvals, with more than 20 new therapies launched over the next three decades, such as  HYDREA® (hydroxyurea), Squibb’s first anti-cancer treatment in 1967 or the introduction by Bristol Laboratories of MUTAMYCIN® (mytomycin) for the treatment of bone cancer and stomach and pancreatic tumors, cancer chemotherapy agent Blenoxane® (bleomycin sulfate) for the treatment of squamous cell cancers, head and neck cancers and Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, and many more.