Mexico Is a Key Market for Clinical Trials: BMS

Q: As BMS Mexico approaches its 80-year milestone, how does it define the company’s legacy in the country, and what does this anniversary represent strategically for the organization?

A: When we speak about 80 years in a country, it speaks to consistency and perseverance, to moving forward alongside the country and its people, Mexican men and women, through both good times and difficult ones. 

Eighty years ago, the portfolio we had was very diverse. Science has evolved, and today we are no longer the same company. As a global innovative pharmaceutical company, our focus is aligned with the needs of Mexican men and women. We have evolved from a company that used to manage mass consumer products to the company we are today, one that delivers high technology solutions in oncology, neurosciences, cardiovascular disease, immunology, and hematology. Throughout the decades, the objective has remained the same: to bring innovation to Mexico, to support physicians in treating patients, and to serve Mexican patients affected by the diseases that impact them today.

What has sustained us are ethics and integrity. This is a company that has known how to navigate the most challenging moments in the country, how to seize opportunities when they arise, and how to stand alongside Mexico throughout its journey. It has also been a space for understanding how the health needs of the Mexican population are evolving and for bringing forward solutions that respond to those needs.

A major differentiator for BMS Mexico is that we began conducting clinical studies in Mexico many years ago. Today, clinical research is part of our reason for being. It is where we evaluate molecules, medicines, and treatments for these diseases. This is especially meaningful in the context of our 80-year history in Mexico because today Mexico is classified within the first group of countries for global clinical studies, alongside the United States, Japan, and Europe, ensuring true representation of Mexican patients.

Q: What does that responsibility translate into in practical terms for patients and the healthcare system?

A: Patients are at the center of everything we do. The medicines we bring to Mexico respond to real needs within the country and to the needs of patients who require them. Every medicine we introduce meets the highest quality standards, so that patients in Mexico can benefit from treatments that offer an appropriate balance between risk and benefit. 

The objective is not limited to achieving this year’s goals, it is about laying the foundation for the future. It is about ensuring that, when BMS Mexico celebrates another 8 decadesin the country, we continue to act with integrity, bring the right molecules at the right time, ensure organizational stability, and foster a strong culture.

Q: What is the reason for the growing interest in Mexico as a hub for clinical trials?

A: We conduct clinical studies globally, across the main countries, taking into account population size, disease prevalence, the quality of investigators, and available infrastructure. Based on these criteria, countries are classified into different clinical research groups. Until some time ago, Mexico was considered a Group Three country, which meant that studies would typically begin in Group One countries, then expand into Group Two, and only later reach Mexico.

Today, Mexico is a Group One country. Mexico's success is due to its robust infrastructure for clinical research and the exceptional quality of its investigators. We are one of the few pharmaceutical companies that conduct clinical research within the public system, including the social security institutions. We have been working with them for years, and that also reflects the level of ethics with which we operate. 

Clinical research is also about offering potential solutions for diseases that currently have no effective treatment. These solutions may still be far from commercialization, but for certain patients, there may be no other option. Bringing clinical research to Mexico offers those patients access to a potential alternative, a potential solution, earlier than would otherwise be possible. In that sense, innovation reaches patients ahead of time.

Another aspect that is very important is the dialogue with government authorities and social security institutions. When we speak with them, we can reference data generated in Mexican patients. 

In addition, every investigator involved in a clinical study is continuously strengthening their knowledge. They are learning about new mechanisms of action, understanding new diseases, and gaining exposure to cutting-edge science. In this way, clinical research also contributes to the development of Mexican medical talent.

This is why, at a global level, more than 20% of our revenue is reinvested in research and development.

Q: In our last conversation, BMS Mexico stressed the importance of continuous dialogue with authorities. What is the state of the regulatory and access environment in Mexico, and what concrete improvements have been achieved?

A: In terms of access, there have been some advances. Mexico still has a long path ahead, but there has been a clear shift. The first sign that things were moving in a positive direction was the appointment of the new Minister of Health. 

When health becomes a central element in the discourse and strategy of political and government leadership, it makes a meaningful difference. Having PhD. David Kershenobich as Minister of Health, a widely recognized researcher with a strong ethical track record, also makes a difference. Regardless of political affiliation, his professional trajectory is broadly respected, and that has a direct impact on how health policy is shaped.

There are accelerated regulatory pathways at COFEPRIS that recognize approvals from trusted, high-level global regulatory agencies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. That did not exist before. Seeing these mechanisms in place is encouraging, and it reinforces the sense that this change in leadership is already having a positive and tangible impact.

Q: Despite this progress, there is much to transform. What are the main challenges for the Mexican health system?

A: In Mexico, public investment in health represents approximately 2.3% of gross domestic product (GDP), while in many developed countries it exceeds 10%. Even when out-of-pocket spending is included, total health investment is close to 6%. This is still insufficient for a country of Mexico’s size, with significant health challenges and a wide diversity of diseases.

Mexico should be much closer to investing 10% of GDP in health if we want Mexican men and women to have more comprehensive, modern, and effective health services. 

Another challenge, which affects everyone is the counterfeit of medicines in Mexico. The Ministry of Health is taking action, and COFEPRIS is also taking steps, but there is still a long way to go. The real impact is on patients, not on sales. When a patient with cancer receives a counterfeit medicine, we are talking about consequences that go far beyond commercial considerations.

The industry has made sustained efforts to address this. We educate physicians, procurement teams, hospitals, and clinics so they can clearly distinguish between original and counterfeit medicines. We also rely exclusively on authorized distributors, with strict standards for integrity, processes, and full traceability, to ensure that what reaches patients is safe and authentic.

It is an issue that requires continued attention and joint solutions.

Q: What are the main goals BMS Mexico aims to achieve over the next three to five years, both from a business and public health perspective?

A: We are launching two new treatments every year. This year, we are preparing to launch a cardiovascular treatment for a very complex inherited heart disease. There are already patients and specialists in Mexico who recognize and understand this condition and who are treating it. 

Neurosciences is another area where we are making a strong commitment. Research in this field has seen limited breakthroughs for more than 30 years, and we are now actively advancing in this space. At the same time, we are in the final stages of clinical studies in hematology for a series of medicines that will significantly change the treatment landscape for multiple myeloma.

We are also working with cellular therapies, which essentially involve educating a patient’s immune system so that it can identify and attack tumors. These advances represent a fundamental shift in how certain diseases are treated.

The objective over the next five years is to continue bringing innovative solutions that transform the lives of Mexican patients through science and with initiatives that go beyond our core business. One example is a program, known as “Continent 2 Continent 4 Cancer (C2C4C) ” Through this initiative, the company supports and finances cycling events in which employees voluntarily  ride nearly 300 kilometers, raising funds that we donate to cancer patient organizations.Another example is our participation in initiatives such as collecting plastic bottle caps to fund cancer treatments for children. Last year alone, our team in Mexico collected nearly 400 kilograms of caps. That translates into a concrete number of children who may have a longer life expectancy.During 4Q25, we organized an activity in which we prepared small care packages and delivered them to family members of hospitalized patients without social security coverage. These packages were not for the patients themselves, but for the relatives and caregivers who remain outside hospitals day and night, often under significant financial strain.

Those small and simple activities add up to our focus to put patients at the center of everything we do.

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is an international biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and delivery of innovative treatments for patients with serious illnesses.