Marcio Coelho, chief commercial officer of robotic assisted surgery company CMR Surgical, updated In Vivo on the company’s unique approach to expanding uptake of its technologies in global markets, including those that are underserved in RAS devices.

Increases in employee numbers often go hand-in-hand with valuation rises as companies are acquired or product success demand increases in sales staff or manufacturing capacity. However, this is not always the case.  

While biotech layoffs and big pharma restructuring dominate the news in 2023, the sector’s job market remains buoyant.

The US FDA could approve as many new gene therapies in 2023 as it has in the previous five years. Development in the field has rapidly accelerated, but still faces hurdles.

Industry veteran and serial entrepreneur Daphne Koller tells In Vivo about how her company, Insitro, is unleashing the potential of computational biology and machine learning to discover new drug compounds.

Inaugural artificial intelligence recommendations from NICE on radiotherapy contouring should allow clinicians to spend more time with patients and on complex cases where AI is not an option. But large language models are not appropriate in all cases, cautions Adrian Sutherland, principal healthcare architect at Endava consultancy.

Mapping the patient journey uncovers a wealth of insights into care, diagnosis and intervention. The onset of advanced analytics tools and sensors now augment the pharma industry’s understanding of the challenges of traversing health care systems. Layering AI into the mapping process not only has the power to provide insights into the current clinical pathway, it can be used to predict and intervene in clinical care.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the NIH revitalization act that required women and minorities to be included in clinical research in the US. Putting that into perspective, we have only really been collecting data at scale on women and minorities since the movie Jurassic Park was launched. If we want more people to participate in clinical trials, it is time to get real about reducing the burden of research on volunteers.

An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.

Industry veteran and serial entrepreneur Daphne Koller tells In Vivo about how her company, Insitro, is unleashing the potential of computational biology and machine learning to discover new drug compounds.

BI’s global head of innovation Michel Pairet tells In Vivo that while unmet medical need is the pharma’s R&D priority, its main focus is bringing breakthrough therapy potential to patients, and it is taking aim at competitive spaces like metabolic health and cancer.

China’s growing market for medtech, estimated at $70bn in 2021, could more than double this decade if the government’s Healthy China 2030 plan stays on track.  

Overcoming Inertia is a challenge. Physicians want novel and better medications and products, but evaluating and trying new products takes time and may involve risk. 

Harsh economic conditions and increased competition are dictating that surgical robotics companies must quickly adopt new commercial strategies. In Vivo speaks to key players in the space to learn more.

In an environment replete with pricing and patient access pressures, top biopharma companies are building commercialization models that emphasize inclusive and diverse decision-making and that integrate digital tools with a human salesforce.

In the top August alliance by deal value, Precision BioSciences licensed Imugene global rights to azercabtagene zapreleucel (azer-cel), its lead allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR T candidate for cancer. Imugene will assume ongoing clinical execution for azer-cel in the large B-cell lymphoma population who have relapsed following autologous CAR T treatment. The license also includes an option to develop up to three other cancer research programs in the future. Precision will receive $21m up front and is eligible for $8m upon successful completion of the Phase Ib dosing in the CAR T relapsed LBCL patient population. For azer-cel, Precision is eligible to receive up to $198m in additional milestone payments plus royalties. For each additional research program selected by Imugene, Precision is eligible for up to $145m in milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales.

A selection of articles you may have missed from August 2023, including a breakdown of CEO pay, a discussion on being out and proud in the life sciences sector, and some hopeful discourse on the investment landscape going into 2024.

The life sciences sector is beginning to appreciate the benefits of arbitration. Parties increasingly recognize that arbitration can be an effective, economical, confidential and business-focused mechanism to resolve the wide range of commercial disputes that arise in the sector.

Companies making blood-based cancer screening tests face a number of barriers to full market entry but getting a foothold of any kind can be the start of a path towards greater ultimate uptake.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the NIH revitalization act that required women and minorities to be included in clinical research in the US. Putting that into perspective, we have only really been collecting data at scale on women and minorities since the movie Jurassic Park was launched. If we want more people to participate in clinical trials, it is time to get real about reducing the burden of research on volunteers.

In the top August alliance by deal value, Precision BioSciences licensed Imugene global rights to azercabtagene zapreleucel (azer-cel), its lead allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR T candidate for cancer. Imugene will assume ongoing clinical execution for azer-cel in the large B-cell lymphoma population who have relapsed following autologous CAR T treatment. The license also includes an option to develop up to three other cancer research programs in the future. Precision will receive $21m up front and is eligible for $8m upon successful completion of the Phase Ib dosing in the CAR T relapsed LBCL patient population. For azer-cel, Precision is eligible to receive up to $198m in additional milestone payments plus royalties. For each additional research program selected by Imugene, Precision is eligible for up to $145m in milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales.

A selection of articles you may have missed from August 2023, including a breakdown of CEO pay, a discussion on being out and proud in the life sciences sector, and some hopeful discourse on the investment landscape going into 2024.

An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.

Industry veteran and serial entrepreneur Daphne Koller tells In Vivo about how her company, Insitro, is unleashing the potential of computational biology and machine learning to discover new drug compounds.

BI’s global head of innovation Michel Pairet tells In Vivo that while unmet medical need is the pharma’s R&D priority, its main focus is bringing breakthrough therapy potential to patients, and it is taking aim at competitive spaces like metabolic health and cancer.

Inaugural artificial intelligence recommendations from NICE on radiotherapy contouring should allow clinicians to spend more time with patients and on complex cases where AI is not an option. But large language models are not appropriate in all cases, cautions Adrian Sutherland, principal healthcare architect at Endava consultancy.

Mapping the patient journey uncovers a wealth of insights into care, diagnosis and intervention. The onset of advanced analytics tools and sensors now augment the pharma industry’s understanding of the challenges of traversing health care systems. Layering AI into the mapping process not only has the power to provide insights into the current clinical pathway, it can be used to predict and intervene in clinical care.

Across the health care industry, the increasing numbers of ethics violations, data breaches and reputational challenges reflect the growing magnitude and prevalence of compliance failures.

In Vivo's deal-making column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – acquisition, alliance, or financing. This month’s column covers deals announced in August 2023. Data provided by Biomedtracker.

In this latest instalment of the In Vivo podcast Daniel Lofaso, CEO of Digital Elevator, talks about the common mistakes biotech companies make when trying to build their brand, how to connect with varied audiences and key trends the industry should keep track of in digital marketing.

Marcio Coelho, chief commercial officer of robotic assisted surgery company CMR Surgical, updated In Vivo on the company’s unique approach to expanding uptake of its technologies in global markets, including those that are underserved in RAS devices.