Bristol-Myers Squibb Receives CHMP Positive Opinion for YERVOY(TM) (ipilimumab) for Previously-Treated Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

Paris (ots/PRNewswire) - YERVOY (ipilimumab) received a
positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human
Use (CHMP) for the treatment of patients with previously-treated
unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The European Commission will
consider the CHMP's positive opinion in its decision on whether to
grant a Marketing Authorisation by August 2011.

"Despite the rising incidence of melanoma across Europe, no new
treatment options have been approved in more than a decade. Receiving
a positive opinion for YERVOY from the CHMP represents an important
milestone for scientific advance in this disease area." said Ron
Cooper, President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Europe.

Immunotherapy is an active area of cancer research that could
offer a new treatment paradigm, through indirectly targeting the
tumour by using the patient's immune system to fight cancer cells.[1]

The CHMP's opinion is based on the currently available data for
ipilimumab, including results from a pivotal randomised double-blind
Phase III study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.[2]

"We believe that immune-therapy represents the next era of cancer
fighting treatments and we are dedicated to addressing the grave and
unmet medical need in melanoma," said Magnus Jaderberg, Chief Medical
Officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb Europe. "As part of our commitment we
have already provided YERVOY to 2444 patients in 386 clinical centres
in Europe through our Expanded Access/Compassionate Use Programme."

About Melanoma

If detected early melanoma can be cured, however when the disease
has spread to other parts of the body, the ability to treat becomes
difficult.[3] In late stages of melanoma, the average survival rate
is about 6 months with a 1-year mortality rate of 75%, making it one
of the most aggressive forms of cancer.[4]

In Europe, about 67,500 people are diagnosed with melanoma each
year.[5] The disease is characterised by a malignant transformation
of the skin's pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) in the deep layer
of the skin, but also in the middle layer of the eye, the inner ear,
and in some internal organs.[6]

About YERVOY(TM) (ipilimumab)

Ipilimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody against cytotoxic
T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4)-antibody. CTLA-4 plays a crucial role
in regulating the natural immune response, sending inhibitory signals
to T-cells. Ipilimumab blocks the activity of CTLA-4, which allows
the natural immune response to react to, and attack, cancer cells.

On 25th March 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved YERVOY (ipilimumab) 3 mg/kg for the treatment of patients
with unresectable (inoperable) or metastatic melanoma in the US.

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.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that
term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995 regarding product development. Such forward-looking statements
are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and
uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change
any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ
materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement
can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that
the European Commission will approve ipilimumab or that ipilimumab
will become a commercially successful product. Forward-looking
statements in this press release should be evaluated together with
the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business,
particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in
Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2010, in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our
Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no
obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

---------------------------------

[1] The American Cancer Society. What is Immunotherapy? Available
at: http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/Treatmen
tTypes/Immunotherapy/immunotherapy-what-is-immunotherapy. Accessed
May 2011.

[2] Hodi FS et al. Improved Survival with Ipilimumab in Patients
with Metastatic Melanoma. N Engl J Med 2010;363(8):711-23.

[3] The Skin Cancer Foundation. Melanoma. Available at
http://www.skincancer.org/Melanoma/. Accessed May 2011.

[4] Korn E et al. Meta-analysis of Phase II Cooperative Group
Trials in Metastatic Stage IV Melanoma to Determine Progression-Free
and Overall Survival Benchmarks for Future Phase 2 Trials. J Clin
Oncol 2008;26:527-534.

[5] European Cancer Observatory. Cancer: Melanoma of skin.
Available at
http://eu-cancer.iarc.fr/cancer-11-melanoma-of-skin.html,en. Accessed
May 2011.

[6] PubMed Health. Melanoma. Available at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001853/. Accessed May
2011.

(Due to the length of the above URL, it may be necessary to copy
and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address
field. Remove the space if one exists.)

ots Originaltext: Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co.KG aA
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Media Contact: Elzbieta Zawislak,
+33615523580,elzbieta.zawislak@bms.com