The superior R&D and growth performance of mid-sized companies like Celgene, Gilead, or Biogen can be attributed to a number of factors such as the size of the R&D budget, portfolio focus, a good mix of internal and external innovation sourcing, but most importantly a strong culture, leadership, and the ability to attract the right people. Part 3 of Catenion’s review of pharma R&D productivity.

The R&D productivity of the top 30 largest biopharma companies decreased slightly from 2021 to 2022 and the sector saw the lowest number of FDA approvals in the past 10 years. 

Companies such as Novartis, Roche or Takeda are heavily invested in the advanced therapeutics field, usually spreading their bets across multiple modalities. The remaining challenges offer opportunities for the next wave of innovation to transform the field once again and make a dent in the larger market of common diseases and solid tumors.