Drugmaker Merges Research and Development Units

The combined unit, effective January 1, 2027, follows a structure already used by several large drugmakers and aims to speed decisions.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Biotech

Photograph of a modern mid-rise research building with horizontal glass bands and a pale stone base on a green lawn under overcast daylight. — Bristol Myers Squibb is merging its research and development divisions into one unit led by Cristian Massacesi, effective January 1, 2027. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Bristol Myers Squibb is merging its research and development divisions into one unit led by Cristian Massacesi, its chief medical officer and head of development. The change takes effect January 1, 2027. This is an internal corporate restructuring, not a new drug, product or technology.

Why it matters

Chief executive Christopher Boerner said the boundaries between research and development are collapsing, and the reorganization aims to speed decision-making and connect scientific and clinical expertise. Several large drugmakers, including Eli Lilly, Merck & Co. and Pfizer, already have leaders overseeing both functions within a single division.

The figures come from company headcount disclosures, showing a drop of about 1,600 employees over two years. The reorganization itself carries no reported performance metrics, and it is not yet known whether the merged structure will change R&D output.

The players

Bristol Myers Squibb

A large drugmaker with major research sites in California, Massachusetts and New Jersey, whose 2019 acquisition of Celgene shaped its prior R&D structure.

Cristian Massacesi

BMS chief medical officer and head of development, who will lead the combined research and development unit.

The details

Bristol Myers Squibb is combining its research arm, which discovers new candidate drugs, with its development arm, which tests them in clinical trials. The new unit will sit under one head of research and development. The company previously kept these functions separate after its 2019 acquisition of Celgene, and this change reverses that structure.

2019: BMS acquired Celgene and adopted the prior R&D structure.
Late October 2026: Boerner discussed R&D productivity on the third-quarter earnings call.
January 1, 2027: The combined R&D organization becomes effective under Massacesi.
March 2027: An advisory role held by the departing chief research officer ends.

The Tech Race

Eli Lilly, Merck & Co. and Pfizer already place research and development under single division leaders, so BMS is adopting a structure its large competitors use. The move brings BMS in line with these peers rather than setting a new model.

The change affects BMS employees and does not alter any product available to patients. The company has not announced changes to drug availability or pricing tied to the restructuring.

The takeaway

Watch whether BMS reports any change in R&D productivity after the January 1, 2027 merger takes effect. The company has said the goal is faster decisions and better integration of scientific and clinical expertise.