NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) announced today that effective July 1, 2019 it has completed its previously announced divestment of its consumer health business, UPSA, to Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (Taisho), the largest over-the-counter drug company in Japan.

The divestiture is part of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s strategy to simplify and to realign its business portfolio to address changes in its business and the future requirements of its evolving pipeline. UPSA is focused on delivering important consumer medicines in France, across Europe and additional countries that are outside of the Bristol-Myers Squibb core focus. The Company is focusing resources on its highest priorities of discovering, developing and delivering transformational medicines for patients facing serious diseases.

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. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.