About Us

  

History


 

Bristol-Myers Squibb's Australian headquarters in Noble Park, Victoria, were opened in 1967 by the Prime Minister, Mr Harold Holt.

 

1967:A junior analyst explains one of the laboratory tests to President of ER Squibb & Sons, New York, Mr R. Furland and Chairman, Mr J J McCloy, during their visit for the official opening of the Australian headquarters.


History

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company we know today has a proud heritage involving two companies - Bristol-Myers and ER Squibb - that started operating more than 100 years ago

Based in New York City, USA, the Bristol-Myers Company began in 1887 when two friends - William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers - founded a small manufacturing company that sold medicines directly to doctors.

Commencing even earlier, in 1858, industry pioneer Dr Edward Robinson Squibb formed the great pharmaceutical company that would eventually bear his name for years to come, ER Squibb & Sons.

During World War II, both Bristol-Myers and Squibb developed processes to mass produce penicillin.

In the early 1960s Bristol-Myers provided its first anti-cancer medicine, which is still used today. In the 1980s Squibb marketed the first of an important new class of medications called ACE inhibitors, for the treatment of hypertension.

In 1989 these two companies joined forces, bringing about one of the largest mergers in corporate history. During the 1990s Bristol-Myers Squibb brought to market the first medicine specifically for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, as well as a breakthrough therapy hailed as the most important cancer medication in 20 years.

Prior to the 1989 merger, the Bristol-Myers Company had operated in Australia since 1930, while ER Squibb & Sons had a presence in Australia since 1955.