With the 2019 acquisition of Celgene – one of the largest pharma acquisition in history – two of the sector’s most innovative oncology companies have joined forces to lead the charge against cancer. The combined entity is expected to rise in the global biopharma rankings, complete with a fresh new look and company logo.

 

In Romania, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) was already in sixth position in terms of revenues, and General Manager Cătălin Radu enthuses, “the Celgene acquisition is an exciting and important milestone for the BMS group”, calling the two “a perfect fit”. He reveals, “Celgene in Romania [currently] operates through a third party so these contracts will be reviewed and repatriated into the BMS operations. The commitment is that any new brands will be taken over by the BMS affiliate but for now the Romanian affiliate has not [started] the integration process yet.”

 

The Celgene acquisition is an exciting and important milestone for the BMS group

Cătălin Radu, BMS Romania

 

Given BMS’ differentiated positioning in the market, Cătălin, who joined BMS in May 2019 after over ten years with Bayer, anticipates an exciting journey ahead. He reflects, “BMS in Romania is a medium-sized entity, present on a modest scale” reflecting the challenging conditions in the Romanian healthcare environment, including “late reimbursement, the lowest drug prices in Europe and price drops after patent expiry”. To maximize their impact, BMS therefore decided to focus solely on their immuno-oncology portfolio, where, as Cătălin affirms, their products “are considered the leaders in the market. We want to continue to present the organisation as the most reliable partner in immuno-oncology.”

 

Looking forward, Cătălin proclaims, “my objectives have always remained the same: to contribute to the team, develop its full potential, and find a purpose. The pharmaceutical industry is a business but at the core of it are the patients. My role is to optimize the impact we can have on patients and the health ecosystem.”

 

In this process, he draws on the three pillars of BMS’ operations: people, innovation and excellence. He elucidates, “we want the best people, not only when recruiting but also when we are developing them. Innovation does not only pertain to new products, but also encompasses our approach and interactions with all our stakeholders to find the best solutions for them. We strive for excellence and this is our trademark here at BMS.”