EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — The foundation of a new Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. cancer fighting drug approved this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be made at the company's suburban Syracuse plant.
The FDA approved Ixempra on Tuesday for the treatment of breast cancer in patients who have exhausted other chemotherapies. Ixempra (pronounced ex-emprah) is designed to inhibit the growth of cancer cells by binding to a protein involved in cell division, said Madeline Malia, a company spokeswoman. The drug was discovered in 1997.
The first step in manufacturing will be done at the East Syracuse facility. The product will be shipped to the company's plant in Swords, Ireland, for finishing.
Commercial launch of the drug is expected soon. No new jobs will be added to make the new product. Bristol employs 800 in East Syracuse.
Analysts earlier this month said the drug could be worth $400 million to $500 million in annual sales for Bristol by 2010. By comparison, Bristol's blockbuster anti-clotting drug Plavix racks up annual sales in the billions.
