BMS to Close Illinois Site in Cell Therapy Manufacturing Consolidation

Bristol Myers Squibb is closing its viral vector production facility in Libertyville, Illinois1
The site was acquired from Novartis approximately two years ago (in 2023)2
The closure is part of a consolidation of BMS's cell therapy manufacturing operations
Production will be shifted to Devens, Massachusetts1
The closure comes as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures at Bristol Myers Squibb1
When BMS acquired the facility in April 2023, it was intended to strengthen the company's cell therapy capabilities5
The original acquisition from Novartis occurred after Novartis had announced it would halt operations at the site, which would have left 275 employees without jobs3
The Libertyville facility was originally designed for multi-product, in-house viral vector production capabilities to support BMS's CAR T cell therapies5
When acquired, the site was meant to complement BMS's external partnerships and increase future manufacturing capacity for cell therapies5

Sources:

1. https://endpts.com/bristol-myers-to-close-cell-therapy-site-in-illinois/

2. https://firstwordpharma.com/story/5956080

3. https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/bristol-myers-boosts-car-t-manufacturing-taking-over-novartis-site-illinois

5. https://news.bms.com/news/details/2023/Bristol-Myers-Squibb-Strengthens-Cell-Therapy-Capabilities-by-Adding-New-U.S.-Manufacturing-Facility-for-Viral-Vector-Production/default.aspx