Bristol Myers folds research into development as its research chief leaves
- Bristol Myers is merging its research and development departments; Cristian Massacesi, now chief medical officer and head of development, becomes head of R&D on Jan. 1, 2027.
- Research chief Robert Plenge will leave, staying through March 2027 for the transition. The company says the change speeds decisions and portfolio management.
- The reshuffle comes ahead of the Eliquis patent cliff, after trial setbacks for Cobenfy and Camzyos and earlier cost cuts.
💡 Points Based on public reports
Putting a development executive in charge of both halves signals a shift toward late-stage execution over exploratory research, which fits a company that has to refill revenue before Eliquis erodes. The risk is the usual one: a unified R&D organization optimizes for near-term clinical probability and can starve early discovery. Watch whether external deals take over the role research used to play in feeding the pipeline.
📰 Source · BioPharma Dive ↗ Bristol Myers research chief to depart in ‘evolution’ of company’s structure