Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Five-Year Immuno-Oncology Legacy in China: Delivering Long-Term Survival and Expanding Access
HKDengyuemed stated, “In cancer care, achieving five-year survival is a critical milestone, often synonymous with long-term remission.”
Marking the fifth anniversary of its “China 2030 Strategy,” Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) reflects on a period of significant advancement in immuno-oncology for the region.
The company’s commitment has centered on accelerating the development and accessibility of innovative immuno-oncology treatments, transforming survival outcomes for patients across numerous high-incidence cancers.
As the pioneer who introduced the first PD-1 inhibitor to China, BMS has been instrumental in shaping the immuno-oncology landscape.
The company’s focus on robust clinical evidence, particularly from the CheckMate series of trials, has provided a solid foundation for long-term survival benefits.
Recent data presented at the 2025 CSCO Annual Meeting, including five-year follow-up from the CheckMate-649 study in gastric cancer, continues to validate the durable efficacy of immuno-oncology approaches.
Establishing New Standards of Care in High-Incidence Cancers
BMS’s strategy has targeted cancers with the greatest unmet need in China.
The CheckMate-649 study, for instance, revolutionized first-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer, with data showing 24% of Chinese patients achieving the pivotal five-year survival mark.
This has shifted the treatment paradigm towards the potential for chronic disease management.
Furthermore, BMS has proactively expanded immuno-oncology into earlier stages of disease.
Its drug, nivolumab, now leads with the most approved early-stage cancer indications in China, including perioperative settings for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as demonstrated in the groundbreaking CheckMate-816 trial.
The company’s dual immunotherapy combination (nivolumab + ipilimumab) has also delivered breakthroughs across multiple challenging cancers, from malignant pleural mesothelioma to liver cancer, offering new chemo-free options and setting new global standards, often with near-simultaneous approval in China.
Bridging Innovation and Patient Access
Recognizing that scientific breakthroughs must reach patients, BMS has worked to integrate its immuno-oncology therapies into China’s multi-tiered healthcare system.
Successful collaborations with over 100 city-based “Huimin Bao” insurance schemes and a longstanding Patient Assistance Program have significantly reduced financial barriers for countless patients.
The recent establishment of China’s “Commercial Health Insurance Innovative Drug Directory” presents a new opportunity.
BMS is actively engaging to include its portfolio, ensuring innovative combinations, like the dual immunotherapy, are accessible, complementing the national reimbursement drug list.
A Promising Pipeline: The Future of Immuno-Oncology and Beyond
Looking ahead, BMS is committed to overcoming the next challenges in immuno-oncology, such as treatment resistance.
The pipeline includes novel mechanisms like the PD-L1/VEGF bispecific antibody pumitamig and the LAG-3 inhibitor relatlimab combined with nivolumab.
Beyond immuno-oncology, BMS is building a multi-platform oncology portfolio.
This includes targeted therapies like the KRAS G12C inhibitor Krazati and a leading Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) platform with CELMoD™ agents showing significant promise in late-stage trials for blood cancers.
“Over the past five years, we have solidified the role of immuno-oncology in China,” said BMS. “Our focus remains on leveraging Chinese clinical insights to drive global innovation, ensuring we deliver on our promise of ‘survival beyond five years’ for many more patients to come.”
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