Chris Boerner

Chris Boerner became CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb in November 2024, inheriting leadership of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies at arguably the most challenging period in its modern history. BMS faces a "patent cliff" as exclusivity expires on several blockbuster drugs: Revlimid (blood cancer, ~$12B peak sales), Eliquis (blood thinner, ~$12B peak sales), Opdivo (cancer immunotherapy, ~$9B), and Pomalyst. Replacing tens of billions in revenue from these patent losses is the central challenge. BMS has responded aggressively through acquisitions (Celgene for $74B in 2019, Karuna Therapeutics for $14B, Myriad Genetics' neuroscience assets, and others) and a deep internal pipeline focused on immunology, oncology (next-gen cell therapy, ADCs), cardiovascular, and neuroscience. The company's portfolio includes next-generation drugs in CAR-T cell therapy (Breyanzi, Abecma), the anti-TYK2 inhibitor Sotyktu, and multiple late-stage oncology candidates. Boerner's key decisions involve pipeline execution, acquisition strategy to fill revenue gaps, cost restructuring to maintain profitability through the patent cliff, pricing strategy amid US drug pricing reform, and R&D portfolio prioritization.