In recent times marked by global pharmaceutical separations and spin-offs, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) stands out for its steadfast dedication to open innovation and strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Hit News recently met with Emma Charles, Senior Vice President overseeing Intercontinental markets, including Asia, Oceania, Canada, and Latin America, where she discussed BMS's strategies and commitment to the Korean market.

Born in France, I majored in Marketing and Finance at ISG Paris, a business school in Paris. My career journey began as a Marketing Manager for Southeast Asia and Global Brand Manager at the vaccine division of Pasteur Merieux (now Sanofi Pasteur).

I then led the Neuroscience Business Unit at Janssen in France and the United States, followed by roles at Pfizer overseeing Central Europe, Turkey, and Israel clusters as well as being responsible for European regional strategy and business development, and later overseeing Rare Diseases and Neuroscience.

Subsequently, I served over six years as Vice President and General Manager at BMS Italy, and currently, I hold the position of Senior Vice President and overall head of Intercontinental markets at BMS.

This market encompasses over 63 markets across six continents, including the Asia cluster with Korea. Korea is regarded as an important market due to its innovative pharmaceutical and biotech ecosystem, coupled with a government supportive of innovation and scientific advancement.

Particularly, BMS Korea, within a short period, has shown great passion by planning to launch six new drugs such as Camzyos, Sotyktu, Zeposia, Onureg, Inrebic, and Reblozyl. This visit to Korea also aims to celebrate this achievement.

Currently, only drugs like Onureg, Inrebic, Zeposia, and Sotyktu are reimbursed, but there are expectations that Camzyos, a treatment for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, will soon bring benefits to patients upon rapid reimbursement. Therefore, it seems that the employees of BMS Korea will have a very busy year ahead, reflecting the high expectations placed on the Korean market

While other global big pharmas have been separating or spinning off their business units recently, BMS has opted for aggressive M&A-driven R&D as a means to provide innovative new drugs to patients and sustain growth. As a result, they are currently developing a pipeline of over 30 products. For example, acquisitions like RayzeBio, a U.S. radiopharmaceutical developer, and Mirati Therapeutics, a targeted cancer therapy developer, have strengthened their oncology pipeline by discovering new anticancer candidates.

Although still in the early stages in the field of neuroscience, BMS is dedicating significant efforts to R&D. Last month, they secured the psychiatric treatment 'KarXT' through the acquisition of the bioventure Karuna Therapeutics, which is developing treatments for schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. This product is set to launch in the U.S. this year and eventually worldwide.

Korea is also a crucial market for BMS's R&D efforts, with active research on approximately 50 candidate substances currently underway. Taking these factors into account, expectations are high for substantial growth from BMS in the next decade and beyond.

Open innovation is central to everything BMS does. With around $9.29 billion invested in R&D last year, a substantial portion was dedicated to open innovation.

In fact, products developed through open innovation account for over 60% of their revenue, highlighting its crucial role in BMS's ongoing R&D efforts and securing new pipelines.

Recently, a technology transfer agreement was reached with the Korean company 'Orum Therapeutics', illustrating BMS's continued collaboration with various biotechs from different regions that possess promising candidate substances. Initiatives like the 'Seoul-BMS Innovation Square Challenge' ongoing in Korea further exemplify this commitment.

Offering long-term coaching to companies struggling with commercialization despite possessing excellent technology is a unique activity in Korea, not commonly seen in other markets. This underscores BMS's interest and commitment to the Korean market.

BMS places great importance on social contributions, such as engaging with patient groups and participating in local community activities. In line with this, Korean BMS Pharmaceuticals is running three main programs.
Firstly, there are 'Recover' programs aimed at empowering young cancer patients and improving the treatment environment for cancer patients, respectively. Additionally, there's the 'Steps for Patients' program, which raises funds through activities like walking. They also support programs aimed at enhancing the quality of life and promoting mental well-being of caregivers, who play a crucial role in patients' treatment journeys, especially on Caregiver’s Day.
Through initiatives like these, BMS is not only developing innovative therapies to assist patients but also engaging in various social contribution activities that comprehensively support patients and caregivers' lives, contributing to reducing global health disparities caused by serious illnesses and poverty.

Supplying six new drugs to the market within a short period is no small feat, so this moment is truly something to be proud of. Moreover, this visit has deepened my understanding of Korea's environment. To the employees of Korean BMS Pharmaceuticals, I'd like to convey the importance of thinking boldly and innovatively to deliver valuable new drugs for patients even more quickly.