Allied Minds and Bristol-Myers Squibb to back biopharma research at leading U.S. academic institutions

BOSTON and NEW YORK—Allied Minds and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced the formation of Allied-Bristol Life Sciences LLC, a new jointly owned enterprise created to identify and foster research and preclinical development of biopharmaceutical innovations from leading university research institutions across the U.S. The unique collaboration is focused on transforming early-stage academic innovation into therapeutic candidates for clinical study.

Allied-Bristol Life Sciences LLC will focus on efficiently and effectively converting discoveries from university research institutions into therapeutic candidates for clinical development and ultimately approved therapies that address serious diseases. For programs identified by the new enterprise, university researchers will be able to access Bristol-Myers Squibb's drug discovery research expertise and Allied Minds' financial and management experience.

"The innovations developed in U.S. research institutions represent an important resource for scientific advancement, as well as economic development and financial returns," said Chris Silva, CEO of Allied Minds in a release announcing the formation of the new enterprize. "Our partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb combines complementary strengths, resources, reach and expertise to create an exciting new paradigm in the drug development space."

"Allied-Bristol Life Sciences LLC brings together cutting-edge ideas, biopharma experience and drug discovery expertise focused on maximizing the potential of new scientific approaches to addressing serious disease," said Carl Decicco, senior vice president and head of discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "We believe this new venture will enhance the translation of early-stage academic research and will ultimately help advance important potential new medicines more efficiently."

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies have jointly formed and funded Allied-Bristol Life Sciences LLC, which will work with university researchers to identify discoveries it believes have promising therapeutic and commercial potential, and will support the research and development needed to take these early-stage opportunities from initial feasibility to pre-clinical candidacy. Allied Minds and Bristol-Myers Squibb together will form and fund new companies to conduct feasibility and full-phase discovery programs. Once a program succeeds in identifying a preclinical candidate, Bristol-Myers Squibb will have the option to acquire the company from Allied-Bristol Life Sciences LLC under pre-agreed terms.

Allied Minds is an innovative U.S. science and technology development and commercialization company. Operating since 2006, the company forms, funds, manages and builds products and businesses based on innovative technologies developed at leading U.S. universities and federal research institutions. Allied Minds serves as a diversified holding company that supports its businesses and product development with capital, central management and shared services. The company is based in Boston, Mass.

Allied Minds' investment model is to form, fund, manage and build companies and jobs for the long term. The company takes a majority ownership stake in each business it establishes, and provides funding and central management so that it's intimately involved at each stage of strategy and growth. Allied Minds currently works with more than 33 leading universities, several of which exceed $1 billion each in annual research spending, as well as 32 federal research centers and laboratories managed by the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy on a similar commercialization structure. It currently has 18 operating companies in the U.S.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.