Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / ImClone Systems Incorporated

2001 · Licensing/Option · $2.0B · Complete

CALLED IT — OFF BY 11

BMS never acquired ImClone outright — it bought a ~20% equity stake plus a co-promotion alliance for Erbitux, which became a real oncology blockbuster, but BMS lost control of the asset entirely when Eli Lilly won the 2008 bidding war and BMS exited North American rights by 2015.

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The coverage arc

Sep 19, 2001 Bristol-Myers Squibb 8-K press release (SEC EDGAR) Bullish

CEO Peter Dolan: 'ImClone Systems' IMC-C225 represents one of the most important advances in cancer medicine since the introduction of TAXOL in 1991... focuses…

Apr 01, 2002 Knowledge at Wharton (citing Raymond James analyst Michael Krensavage) Bearish

Analyst Krensavage said Erbitux 'could have carried them through the patent expirations, but without it they faltered. The ImClone problem reflected their…

Oct 06, 2008 Wikipedia (citing primary FDA, BMS, ImClone sources) Neutral

The 2001 BMS-ImClone deal was renegotiated in 2002 after an FDA Refuse-to-File letter, and BMS later acquired ImClone outright in 2008 for $6.5B at $70/share.

Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.

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BMS-ImClone Erbitux (cetuximab) co-development/commercialization; $1B equity tender at 75% premium for 19.9% stake plus $1B in milestones. Renegotiated 2002 after FDA RTF letter.

Did it work? Outcome assessment

BMS never acquired ImClone outright — it bought a ~20% equity stake plus a co-promotion alliance for Erbitux, which became a real oncology blockbuster, but BMS lost control of the asset entirely when Eli Lilly won the 2008 bidding war and BMS exited North American rights by 2015.

Strategic verdict
Partially Achieved

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / ImClone Systems Incorporated (this deal)2001$2.0B61
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Medarex Inc.2009$2.4B92
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Celgene Corporation2019$74.0B77
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / MyoKardia Inc.2020$13.1B76
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Karuna Therapeutics2023$14.0B76
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.201176
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company / SystImmune Inc.2023$8.4B71

Compare all 7 side-by-side →

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