Global CDMO player Syngene International has extended its long-running strategic partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) through 2035, deepening a collaboration that has already spanned more than two decades and positioning both companies for accelerated drug development over the next decade.

 

The expanded agreement significantly widens the scope of integrated services across the entire drug development lifecycle—from early discovery and translational sciences to pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, clinical trials, and digital and IT-enabled services—allowing for a seamless transition from research to commercialization. 

 

The move marks a new phase in the partnership and strengthens Syngene’s role as a strategic, end-to-end scientific and manufacturing partner to global biopharma companies.

 

Peter Bains, Managing Director and CEO, Syngene International, said, "Our collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb, which now spans more than 25 years, is anchored in scientific excellence, operational reliability, and a shared commitment to advancing innovative therapies. 

 

"The agreement to extend this partnership through 2035 enables us to plan together for the future in terms of building new capabilities and infrastructure with a decade long horizon. Taking a long-term perspective is a key feature of our partnership which adds strategic value to both companies. We look forward to supporting BMS with their next wave of discovery, development, and manufacturing programs that have the potential to improve patient outcomes worldwide."

 

For Bristol Myers Squibb, the expanded collaboration reinforces its patient-first approach and its focus on accelerating scientific innovation through tightly integrated global partnerships.

 

Payal Sheth, Senior Vice President, Therapeutic Discovery Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb, said, “At Bristol Myers Squibb, everything we do begins with patients. We greatly value our long-standing partnership with Syngene, which has been instrumental in advancing our scientific ambitions. 

 

"This expanded collaboration reflects our commitment to advancing innovative science by effective integration of our research, development, and manufacturing capabilities to accelerate the delivery of transformative medicines and bring hope to patients around the world who are waiting for new treatment options.”

 

The partnership dates back to 1998 and led to the creation of the Biocon Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Development Center (BBRC), Syngene’s first dedicated R&D facility, which became fully operational in 2009. 

 

Since then, BBRC has grown into a major strategic R&D hub for BMS, supporting integrated capabilities across target identification, lead discovery and optimization, pharmaceutical development, molecular and cell biology, protein sciences, assay biology, and clinical biomarkers.

 

Today, the center employs around 700 Syngene scientists working as an extension of Bristol Myers Squibb’s global research organization. Their work supports discovery, preclinical development, and patent filings across key therapeutic areas including cardiovascular disease, fibrosis, immunology, and oncology.