Is Opdivo a subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb?

No. Opdivo is a prescription drug brand owned outright by Bristol Myers Squibb, not a subsidiary. The drug was co-developed with Ono Pharmaceutical, which retains rights in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, but BMS controls the brand globally elsewhere.

Is Opdivo publicly traded?

No. Opdivo is a product, not a company. Investors gain exposure through Bristol Myers Squibb stock, which trades on the NYSE under ticker BMY. Opdivo sales flow into BMS's consolidated revenue.

When was Opdivo approved?

Opdivo received its first FDA approval in December 2014 for advanced melanoma, the second PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor to reach market. Label expansion has since covered more than 15 tumor types.

Who developed Opdivo?

Nivolumab was discovered through work connected to Professor Tasuku Honjo's PD-1 research and developed jointly by Ono Pharmaceutical and Bristol Myers Squibb, which acquired the rights through its 2009 Medarex purchase. Honjo shared the 2018 Nobel Prize for the underlying checkpoint discovery.

What is Opdivo's market position?

Opdivo is the number-two checkpoint inhibitor globally behind Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb's largest single product. It holds leading positions in melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and several GI cancers, with the Qvantig formulation launched in 2025 extending its reach.

What is the difference between Opdivo and Keytruda?

Both are anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors that work by the same core mechanism, but they are made by different companies: Opdivo by BMS, Keytruda by Merck. Clinical data, approved indications, dosing, and pricing differ by tumor type, and oncologists choose between them based on specific indications and evidence.

Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals

Who Owns Opdivo?

Opdivo is owned by Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY), which developed the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and markets it globally with Ono Pharmaceutical as co-development partner. Approved since 2014, Opdivo treats melanoma, lung cancer, kidney cancer, and more than a dozen other tumor types. It is BMS's flagship oncology brand and one of the best-selling cancer drugs in the world.

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

Parent Company

Bristol Myers Squibb Company

Founded

2014

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Princeton, New Jersey, USA

Opdivo Timeline

1989

Bristol Myers Squibb Company

Parent company established in Princeton, New Jersey, USA

Company Founded

2014

Opdivo

Founded by Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical (co-developed)

Founded

GlobalOfficial Website

Who Owns Opdivo?

Parent Company: Bristol Myers Squibb Company
Ownership Type: Product line
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: BMY

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Opdivo	Bristol Myers Squibb Company	Product line

Where to Buy

Disclosure: We may earn commission from purchases

Opdivo on Amazon

History of Opdivo

Founded: 2014
Founders: Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical (co-developed)

Nivolumab emerged from Ono Pharmaceutical's work on PD-1, the immune checkpoint receptor whose discovery earned Honjo a share of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Medarex, acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2009, held development rights that brought the molecule into the BMS pipeline before the Ono partnership formalized its commercialization.

Opdivo received its first FDA approval in December 2014 for advanced melanoma, becoming the second PD-1 inhibitor to reach market behind Merck's Keytruda, which won its own approval months earlier. The two drugs defined modern immuno-oncology and have competed head-to-head ever since.

Label expansion drove Opdivo's growth through the late 2010s and early 2020s: approvals piled up across non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, mesothelioma, and combinations with the CTLA-4 drug Yervoy. It became the standard of care across multiple tumor types and BMS's largest single product.

The brand's second act is lifecycle management. Qvantig, the subcutaneous formulation allowing injection instead of IV infusion, launched in 2025 as the first full year of what BMS positions as a convenience-and-durability strategy extending the franchise beyond the intravenous patent horizon. Combination therapies like Opdualag, pairing Opdivo with relatlimab in melanoma, extend the platform further.

Through 2025 Opdivo remained the backbone of BMS's Growth Portfolio even as the parent navigated Eliquis and Revlimid erosion, with quarterly presentations showing continued strength in colorectal, liver, and lung indications.

About Bristol Myers Squibb Company

What does Bristol Myers Squibb own?
BMS owns a portfolio of prescription drug brands including Opdivo, Eliquis (co-marketed with Pfizer), Revlimid, Breyanzi, Abecma, Camzyos, Reblozyl, Cobenfy, Opdualag, Zeposia, and Krazati, plus the acquired pipelines of Celgene, Karuna, and Mirati.

Is Bristol Myers Squibb publicly traded?
Yes. Bristol Myers Squibb trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker BMY and is an S&P 500 component. The stock has been publicly listed since the Bristol-Myers side's earlier history, with the merged company trading since 1989.

Who founded Bristol Myers Squibb?
The modern company was created by merger in 1989 rather than founded by an individual. Its roots trace to William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers, who founded Bristol-Myers in 1887, and Edward Robinson Squibb, who founded Squibb in Brooklyn in 1858.

Where is Bristol Myers Squibb headquartered?
BMS is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, after relocating its corporate offices to the Princeton area. The company has maintained New Jersey roots since the merger era, with major research sites across the state.

How many brands does Bristol Myers Squibb own?
BMS markets roughly two dozen major product brands globally, led by Eliquis, Opdivo, and the growing Growth Portfolio drugs. As a pharmaceutical company its brands are prescription medicines rather than consumer-facing labels.

Who owns Bristol Myers Squibb?
BMS is owned by public shareholders, with Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street as the largest institutional holders. Christopher Boerner serves as board chair and chief executive officer. No single owner controls the company.

Founded: 1989
Headquarters: Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: NYSE: BMY
Revenue: $48.2 billion (FY2025)
Employees: Approximately 34,100

Visit Bristol Myers Squibb Company website

View full company profile for Bristol Myers Squibb Company

Where Is Opdivo Made / Based?

Headquarters: Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Ireland, Netherlands

Opdivo Categories & Tags

Prescription Drug Oncology Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment Biologic

Opdivo Recalls & Controversies

Opdivo has not faced major product recalls since its 2014 approval. Its safety profile carries the labeled risks inherent to checkpoint inhibitors: immune-mediated adverse events affecting lungs, colon, liver, kidneys, and endocrine organs, with treatment guidance managed through the FDA's approved labeling.

The brand inherits broader pharma scrutiny around oncology drug pricing. Opdivo's list price for a course of treatment runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, placing it squarely in the drug pricing debate that has enveloped the checkpoint inhibitor class. As an off-patent-horizon concern, Medicare negotiation exposure for Opdivo is a medium-term rather than immediate risk through September 2026.

Opdivo Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Backed by BMS's global oncology commercial infrastructure
+15-plus approved indications create multiple revenue engines
+Qvantig subcutaneous launch extends lifecycle beyond IV patent horizon
+Combination regimens deepen oncology positioning
+Foundational status in immuno-oncology standard of care

Considerations

-Keytruda dominance limits overall class leadership
-Long-term pricing pressure including future Medicare negotiation
-Combination patent protection will eventually expire
-Immune-related side effect burden inherent to drug class
-Parent's reliance on Opdivo concentrates portfolio risk

Frequently Asked Questions About Opdivo

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Opdivo

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
Keytruda	Merck	USA	2014	Mass market	Global	All Genders
Adcetris	Pfizer	United States	2011	Mass market	North america	All Genders
Avastin	Roche	Switzerland	2004	Premium	Global	Unisex
Ibrance	Pfizer	USA	2015	Mass market	Global	All Genders
Padcev	Pfizer	USA	2019	Mass market	Global	All Genders
Tukysa	Pfizer	USA	2020	Mass market	Global	All Genders