Bristol Myers Squibb Launches Campaign to Highlight Unmet Needs in Cardiovascular Care

New educational program developed with Johnson & Johnson focuses on factor XIa research to address thrombosis risk without increased bleeding

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Bristol Myers Squibb has launched an educational campaign called "Change the Target. Change What's Possible." in partnership with Johnson & Johnson. The program aims to spotlight the unmet need in cardiovascular care for patients who remain at high risk of thromboembolic events like stroke, despite currently available therapies. The campaign highlights the emerging potential of factor XIa (FXIa) research to address this issue by potentially preventing harmful clots without increasing bleeding risk.

Why it matters

Cardiovascular and thromboembolic diseases are leading causes of death and disability in the U.S., accounting for nearly 1 million deaths annually. Despite advances in treatment, many patients remain at high risk of dangerous clots, with factors like bleeding risk contributing to gaps in protection. Exploring new targets like factor XIa could lead to innovations that better address this unmet need.

The details

The clinician-focused educational program developed by Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson spotlights the significant unmet need in cardiovascular care, noting that 40% of patients with atrial fibrillation are untreated or undertreated, and 25% of strokes are recurrent, many of which are considered preventable. The program highlights how inhibition of coagulation factors in the common pathway can compromise healthy clotting, and how targeting factor XIa may enable reducing thrombosis risk without increasing bleeding complications.

  • The educational campaign was launched on February 4, 2026.

The players

Bristol Myers Squibb

A pharmaceutical company that is pursuing bold science to transform patients' lives.

Johnson & Johnson

A healthcare company that is collaborating with Bristol Myers Squibb on the educational campaign.

Clay Johnston, MD, PhD, MPH

The co-founder and chief medical officer of Harbor Health in Austin, Texas.

Tania Small, MD

The senior vice president and head of Medical Affairs at Bristol Myers Squibb.

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What they’re saying

“With heart disease and stroke among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, it is imperative to continue research in preventing these events. Patients at risk for stroke and other thromboembolic events really need drugs that reduce the risk of dangerous clots without increasing their bleeding risk, and targeting factor XIa may open this possibility.”

— Clay Johnston, co-founder, chief medical officer, Harbor Health in Austin, Texas

“Despite advances in cardiovascular care, some patients with thromboembolic disease remain at high risk because current therapies may require difficult trade-offs between efficacy and bleeding. A better understanding of the coagulation cascade has led to the identification of new targets, such as factor XIa, informing how we approach the research of thrombosis prevention while preserving healthy clotting.”

— Tania Small, senior vice president and head of Medical Affairs, Bristol Myers Squibb

What’s next

The educational campaign will continue to raise awareness among clinicians about the unmet needs in cardiovascular care and the potential of factor XIa research to address these issues.

The takeaway

This campaign highlights the ongoing challenges in cardiovascular disease management and the need for innovative approaches that can reduce the risk of dangerous clots without compromising healthy clotting and increasing bleeding risk. Exploring new targets like factor XIa could lead to breakthroughs that improve outcomes for high-risk patients.