Bristol-Myers & Biocon open R&D facility
March 24, 2009

The work at the facility will span drug discovery & other research

BANGALORE: Syngene International, a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company on Monday, announced the opening of a fully dedicated research and development facility for Bristol-Myers Squibb in Biocon Park, Bangalore.

The 200,000 square-foot facility at Biocon Park is dedicated to helping advance Bristol Myers Squibb's work in discovery and early drug development, and is currently occupied by 270 researchers.

Construction on the facility began in March 2007, when Bristol-Myers Squibb and Biocon entered into an agreement to develop integrated drug discovery and development capabilities at Syngene, Biocon said in a release.

The facility will house 360 researchers by the end of the year and could accommodate as many as 450 employees in the future. Work at the facility will span the drug discovery and development process from initial hit to lead optimisation to early pharmaceutical development to clinical nomination.

"To support talent development in India we are committed to working with academic institutions through fellowships and partnerships to ensure the next generation of graduates has a high level of expertise in drug discovery and development sciences," said Francis Cuss, MB, BChir, FRCP, Senior Vice President, Discovery and Exploratory Clinical Research, Bristol Myers Squibb. "Syngene's multi-disciplinary skills in synthetic chemistry, process chemistry and molecular biology have garnered international repute. This collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb is a testimonial to Syngene's global reputation and offers a powerful value-added capability base for Bristol-Myers Squibb," said Biocon Chairman & Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. In addition to expanding its research and development capabilities in India through its relationship with Biocon, Bristol-Myers Squibb has committed to supporting the development of scientific excellence in India.

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