After heading up Bristol Myers Squibb's worldwide commercial immuno-oncology melanoma and genitourinary unit, Erik Johnson is parting ways to help launch miR Scientific's first product.
Johnson is joining the cancer management company as chief operating officer as miR prepares for the global commercialization of its prostate cancer test. The noninvasive, urine-based liquid biopsy test aims to detect, classify and monitor prostate cancer.
Last October, FDA granted the test a breakthrough-device designation, meaning it's a new medical device that has the potential for giving more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or otherwise debilitating diseases or conditions.
The following month, the company said the test was expected to be commercially available in the U.S. in early 2021 and in certain European and Asian markets later in the year. MiR also has a commitment with the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration to evaluate the test's impact and deployment on the island.
While at BMS for about 20 years, Johnson was the worldwide leader of Opdivo and Yervoy in melanoma and genitourinary tumors. He also led pipeline assets in those indications and was brand lead for leukemia drug Sprycel, which generated $2.14 billion in 2020 sales for BMS. Overall, he oversaw more than $5 billion in revenue, the company said.