Bristol Myers Squibb to invest US $40B in U.S. operations

USA – Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is set to invest US $40 billion in the United States over the next five years to expand its research and manufacturing operations.

The announcement was made by BMS CEO Christopher Boerner in an opinion piece published in Stat News.

He explained that the funds will support research and development, technological innovation, and the strengthening of domestic manufacturing.

Boerner stressed the need to reinforce U.S.-based production to improve control over complex supply chains and better align manufacturing with where the bulk of the company’s R&D efforts take place.

As part of the investment, BMS plans to grow its footprint nationwide, scale up radiopharmaceutical production, and harness artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate drug development.

The move comes amid rising pressure from the U.S. government to localize pharmaceutical manufacturing.

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to fast-track the approval of domestic pharmaceutical plants.

The order directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to simplify its review process, support local manufacturers early on, and step up oversight of foreign suppliers of active ingredients. It also proposes public disclosure of non-compliant facilities.

This increased focus on U.S. manufacturing follows months of tariff threats targeting the pharmaceutical industry.

Although the sector has historically been exempt due to potential risks to supply, looming trade tensions have prompted several drugmakers to reconsider their global strategies.

BMS’s investment also builds on recent strategic acquisitions. In 2023, the company acquired RayzeBio for US $4.1 billion, gaining access to several radiopharmaceutical candidates targeting solid tumors.

More recently, BMS moved to acquire its cell therapy partner 2seventy bio in a US $286 million deal, further strengthening its oncology pipeline.