Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) announced Feb. 12 that it will be an inaugural partner to Life Science Cares in support of its national campaign to fight food insecurity.
The Food is Health: Nourishing Communities, Advancing Health initiative, aims to invest $30 million and mobilize 30,000 volunteer hours by 2030 to deliver measurable, lasting impact for communities nationwide.
Life Science Cares is a Boston-based collective organization that tries to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequality.
The project is grounded in evidence that access to nutritious food is essential to disease prevention, treatment adherence, and long-term health outcomes. Research shows that food insecurity is associated with higher rates of chronic disease, increased hospitalizations and poorer health outcomes. This underscores that nutrition is not separate from health care, but essential to it.
As an inaugural partner, Bristol Myers Squibb will commit $5 million, underscoring its leadership in advancing health equity and reducing barriers to care.
“We believe in the transformative power of our medicines to help patients live longer, healthier lives. Through our purpose and responsibility as a global company, we also recognize the need to treat the whole patient, both through innovative medicines and by addressing broader factors that impact a person’s health, like food insecurity,” said Wendy Short Bartie, executive vice president of corporate affairs, Bristol Myers Squibb.
“We work tirelessly to ensure patients can access the treatments they need while breaking down inequities and barriers to care to improve outcomes.”
More than 40 million Americans struggle with food insecurity every year — including 1 in 5 children. Hunger doesn’t exist in isolation: it drives poor health, limits educational success, and makes it harder for families to break cycles of poverty.
Over 347,000 New Jersey households experienced food insecurity each year from 2021-2023 on average, according to the Office of the Food Security Advocate’s report “The State of Food Security in New Jersey,” published in December. Food insecurity in New Jersey increased from 8.4% of households in 2018-2020 to 9.8% in 2021-2023, an increase of 16.7%.
“Bristol Myers Squibb is showing the kind of leadership our industry needs — rooted in compassion, responsibility, and a belief that strong communities are the foundation for better health,” said Rob Perez, founder of Life Science Cares.
“This commitment goes beyond a single moment on a global stage. By recognizing the impact of food security on health, BMS is making a long-term investment in people, in communities, and in measurable health outcomes. We hope others across the life sciences industry will join BMS in stepping up, leaning in, and investing in the communities that make our work possible. Together, we can create lasting systemic impact.”
Bristol Myers Squibb believes the collaboration with Life Science Cares reflects the BMS belief that advancing both science and society go hand in hand, ensuring lasting benefits for local communities and addressing critical societal challenges.