Simcere Pharmaceutical Group and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Enter Innovative Partnership to Develop Early-Stage Oncology Compound

China and PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (NYSE: SCR), a leading pharmaceutical company in China, today announced an innovative strategic partnership to co-develop BMS-817378, a preclinical small molecule MET/VEGFR-2 inhibitor. This unique arrangement represents a creative approach to accelerate a preclinical oncology compound to clinical proof-of-concept by leveraging the complementary strengths of a premier Chinese pharmaceutical company and a global pharmaceutical company. This partnership represents a novel development stage relationship for Bristol-Myers Squibb with a Chinese company, and a novel partnership approach for Bristol-Myers Squibb to leverage its early stage pipeline in support of its BioPharma strategy.

Under the terms of the agreement, Simcere receives exclusive rights to develop and commercialize BMS-817378 in China while Bristol-Myers Squibb retains exclusive rights in all other markets. The parties will together determine the strategic development plan, which will initially be performed by Simcere. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“This ground-breaking partnership demonstrates how a leading research and development based Chinese company can work together with a global pharmaceutical company to accelerate a drug development timeline and conduct first-in-human studies in China. This approach allows the partnership to leverage our well-recognized clinical and regulatory capabilities and our access to the vast patient pool in China,” commented Dr. Peng Wang, chief scientific officer, Simcere Pharmaceutical Group.

“We are committed to working with companies in China in a creative and innovative fashion. This new partnership represents just such an example,” said Francis Cuss, senior vice president, Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We are excited to embark on this partnership with Simcere. Working together we are building on the strengths of both organizations to develop potential medicines and help patients.”

About Bristol-Myers Squibb

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. For more information, please visit www.bms.com or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmsnews.

About Simcere Pharmaceutical Group

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (NYSE:SCR, Simcere) is a leading pharmaceutical company specializing in development, manufacturing, and marketing of branded generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals in China. In recent years, Simcere has been focusing its strategy on the development of innovative pharmaceuticals and first-to-market generics, and has introduced an innovative anti-cancer medication Endu, a first-to-market medication Sinofuan, and first-to-market generics such as Bicun and Anxin. Simcere manufactures and sells anti-infective medication, anti-cancer medication and stroke management medication. Simcere concentrates its research and development efforts on the treatment of diseases with high incidence and/or mortality rates and for which there is a clear demand for more effective pharmacotherapy such as cancer, strokes, orthopaedics and infectious diseases. For more information about Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, please visit http://www.simcere.com.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that the compound described in this release will move from exploratory development into full product development, that clinical trials of this compound will support a regulatory filing, or that the compound will receive regulatory approval or become a commercially successful product. Forward-looking statements in the press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb’s business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Simcere Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions. These forward looking statements are based upon management’s current views and expectations with respect to future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. Furthermore, these statements are, by their nature, subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance and results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Simcere’s filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov. Simcere does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Simcere Pharmaceutical Group