Market Intelligence

During Q1, biopharma merger and acquisition deal value reached $37bn, while the potential deal value from alliances was $38.5bn. Device company M&A values reached $3.6bn, while in vitro diagnostics and research tools players’ M&A activity totaled $1bn.

Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty toppled after recording the highest ever annual sales for a pharmaceutical in 2022, while Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic climbed rapidly. But Merck & Co’s immuno-oncology blockbuster Keytruda was secure in the number one spot in 2023 as COVID-19 receded.

Addex Therapeutics’ Tim Dyer has seen the company through 22 years of ups and downs. He has kept the company afloat, and recently did the same by spinning out a new company.

During Q1, biopharmas brought in an aggregate $30.1bn in financing and device company fundraising totaled $2.8bn; while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players raised $724m.

Could health sector players encounter issues similar to those facing Tesla in China, a country which virtually saved the electric vehicle maker but where it is now facing challenges? Are there any lessons to be learned from a success story under China's volume-based procurement scheme? A partner at EY looks at these and other issues. 

Two $1bn+ alliances were penned in March. In the top alliance by deal value, Merus NV will use its Triclonics anitbody platform to discover new dual tumor-associated antigens targeting trispecific antibodies for Gilead Sciences. Merus will lead early-stage research activities for two programs, with an option to pursue a third. Gilead will have the right to license programs developed under the collaboration after the completion of select research activities. If Gilead exercises its option to license any such program from the collaboration, Gilead will be responsible for additional research, development and commercialization activities for such program. The deal could be worth up to $1.5bn for Merus.

Glioblastoma carries a grim prognosis. The biopharma industry is trying to improve patient outcomes, with 120 drugs in the pipeline and two anticipated approvals this year.

With Teva and Viatris recently under new management and Sandoz having last year split from former parent company Novartis, the three off-patent industry leaders are adopting different strategies for how they balance their generics and biosimilars interests with more innovative ventures.

US-China tensions, the increasing importance of Singapore as a doorway to the Asia-Pacific region, growing AI innovation in South Korea and a changing clinical trials landscape in Japan are just some of the recent developments in APAC. 

France has long been a European leader in rare diseases, from its scientific research and academic hospitals, through to patient advocacy and regulatory reforms that have encouraged R&D. Its biotech and pharmaceutical industries are now leading the way, discovering the next generation of therapies for patients that are often overlooked.

An interactive look at pharma, medtech, and diagnostics deals made during February 2023. Data courtesy of Biomedtracker.

German biotech Adrenomed has proof-of-concept data showing its sepsis drug can cut mortality by 67%. Now, it needs money to move the candidate into Phase IIb/III trials.

Delays have plagued J&J's soft tissue surgical robot. However, the company has now solidified at least its near-term plan and hopes to commence trials later this year.

Technical challenges and lackluster investor sentiment about the near-term commercial potential of cell and gene therapies in neurological disorders may be holding the field back.

Just one $1bn+ alliance was penned in February, compared to ten in the previous month. In the top alliance by deal value, Neomorph and Novo Nordisk entered into a potential $1.46bn agreement for the discovery, development, and commercialization of molecular glue degraders (MGDs) for cardiometabolic and rare diseases. The collaboration brings together Novo Nordisk's expertise in those disease areas with Neomorph's MGD discovery platform. Neomorph will lead discovery and preclinical activities against selected targets with Novo Nordisk having the right to exclusively pursue further clinical development and commercialization of the compounds.

Nouscom, with one major partner and strong confidence, is building research and manufacturing foundations to address significant market needs with its neoantigen cancer vaccine platform.