Bristol Myers unifies R&D under Massacesi, Plenge to depart

Bristol Myers Squibb said Cristian Massacesi, its chief medical officer, will lead a unified end-to-end research and development organisation from January 1, 2027, and chief research officer Robert Plenge will stay as an adviser through March 2027 before departing.

Why it matters: The merger of research and development under one leader is the company's chosen structure for accelerating its pipeline as it works through the loss of exclusivity on key drugs, and it removes the standalone research chief role Plenge has held.

Data as of Bristol Myers Squibb announcement of November 12, 2026, distributed on Business Wire and read in full via a syndicated carrying after the Endpoints News report of the same day proved paywalled beyond its opening lines. Developing item.

Bristol Myers Squibb announced on Thursday that Cristian Massacesi, its executive vice president and chief medical officer, will lead a unified, end-to-end research and development organisation effective January 1, 2027, bringing the company’s scientific and clinical work together in one organisation from discovery through development. Robert Plenge, the executive vice president and chief research officer, will remain in an advisory capacity through March 2027 to support the transition before departing the company.

The company presented the change as designed to accelerate pipeline momentum and strengthen collaboration across the R&D organisation. Massacesi joined Bristol Myers in August 2025 from AstraZeneca, where he was chief medical officer, and has held the development brief since then; the new structure adds the research organisation Plenge led to his remit.

Bristol Myers unifies R&D under Massacesi, Plenge to depart

Sources