Bristol-Myers SquibbBristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced the company has signed an agreement with Novo Nordisk under which Bristol-Myers Squibb will acquire an exclusive global license to a discovery biologics research program focused on modulating the innate immune system as a therapy for autoimmune diseases. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The agreement supports Bristol-Myers Squibb’s long-standing commitment to immunoscience, a core therapeutic area with multiple innovative drug candidates in development to target immune-mediated diseases with high unmet medical needs.

The innate immune system is the body's first line of defense against pathogens and responds to exogenous agents in an antigen non-specific way to stimulate an immediate protective response. Dysregulated innate immunity plays a critical role in the induction and pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.