Bristol-Myers Squibb Expands Drug-Development Activities in India

Bangalore, India (March 14)-Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS, New York, NY, www.bms.com) is expanding its research and development (R&D) capabilities in India.

BMS says it will significantly increase the scope of its existing relationship with Biocon Limited (Bangalore, India, www.biocon.com) to further develop integrated capabilities in India in medicinal chemistry, biology, drug metabolism, and pharmaceutical development. Biocon, through its subsidiary Syngene International, will work with BMS to establish a research facility in Bangalore that ultimately could house more than 400 scientists to help advance BMS’s discovery and early drug development. The groundbreaking for the new facility is slated for March 21, 2007.

Syngene is Biocon’s custom-research arm. Biocon, its two subsidiary companies, Syngene International and Clinigene International, and its joint-venture company Biocon Biopharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. form an integrated biotechnology company, specializing in biopharmaceuticals, custom research, clinical research, and enzymes. Syngene’s chief operating officer, Goutam Das said about one tenth of the company's current 600-person research team now is engaged in BMS work. The plan is to add 400 scientists over the next three years to advance BMS projects.

In a separate multiyear agreement, BMS will expand its relationship with the management consulting firm Accenture (Atlanta, GA, www.accenture.com) to include support for clinical data and document management, pharmacovigilance, and scientific writing functions in India. Accenture also will provide maintenance and support for R&D information systems. BMS will use Accenture’s Life Science Centers for Excellence in Bangalore and Chennai, which follow industry-accepted operational practices and international standards in the clinical area.