BMS Deals Diabetes Drugs, Solidifies Specialist Stance

The recent diabetes alliance between Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca on two late-stage clinical compounds highlights some of the different ways pharmaceutical companies are embracing both specialty products and externalization strategies to address the industry's growing pipeline problem. BMS and AZ are pursuing different approaches but in diabetes, those strategies are complementary: AZ's unabashed externalization and muscular primary care marketing suits BMS's gradual weaning off the blockbuster model.