Drug Digest: Examining the Growing Role of Partnerships in Modern Bioprocessing and Biopharma R&D with Bristol Myers Squibb's Dr. Manisha P. Desai

In the debut episode of BioPharm Drug Digest, Manisha P. Desai, PhD, senior vice president, Product Development. Bristol Myers Squibb, joins the conversation as we unpack how strategic, end-to-end partnerships in bioprocessing and biopharma development are reshaping biologics, process development, and manufacturing workflows.

Industry alliances are compressing timelines, reducing risk from discovery through scalable supply, and driving innovation in complex molecule production, reinforcing their pivotal role in accelerating biotherapeutic delivery worldwide.

How do strategic bioprocessing partnerships accelerate biotherapeutic development?

As modalities grow more complex, no single organization can sustain all required capabilities in-house. Companies increasingly depend on specialized partners, contract development manufacturing organizations, and technology providers. Dr. Desai highlights the industry shift from traditional fee-for-service outsourcing to deep, integrated partnerships that align scientific design with operational execution from the outset.

"I think early alignment is very critical because development and manufacturing teams … bring complementary sets of expertise to the table," Dr. Desai says.

By combining internal chemistry, manufacturing, and controls expertise with external technology, digital innovation, AI-driven insights, and large partner experience across many portfolios, biopharma companies can anticipate risks earlier, avoid late-stage surprises, and bring breakthrough biologics to patients faster and more sustainably, Dr. Desai asserts.

Interview featuring

Manisha P. Desai, PhD, Senior Vice President, Product Development, Bristol Myers Squibb

Dr. Desai is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive and strategic leader who, throughout her more-than-25-year career at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), has developed extensive expertise in the biopharma industry, with a focus on end-to-end chemistry, manufacturing, and controls development. This includes the design and development, scale-up, and technology transfer for both oral and parenteral drug products for BMS’s small and large molecule portfolio, as well as combination products, to manufacturing sites. In addition to her technical expertise, Dr. Desai has excelled in developing and executing organizational strategy, leading strategic partnerships, building high-performing teams, managing large global organizations, shaping organizational culture, and guiding teams through change.

Sponsor

This episode of Drug Digest is sponsored by:

• Ecolab Bioprocessing

About BioPharm Drug Digest

BioPharm Drug Digest is a video series with the BioPharm International® editors, who conduct in-depth interviews with industry experts around the latest research and pipeline developments as well as emerging opportunities, obstacles, and advances in the biopharmaceutical industry related to the manufacturing, distribution, supply, and regulatory compliance of biopharmaceutical products.

Upcoming episodes

April 2026: Innovation in Modalities: Designing the Next mAb, RNA, or Cell Therapy
May 2026: Large Molecule Manufacturing
August 2026: Regulatory and Quality Updates in Biologic Drug Development