The number of gene therapies in development continues to rise, as trial sponsors widen the scope of addressable conditions, beyond ultra-rare diseases. Will manufacturing capacity – and payer budgets – be able to keep up?

Experts share what they believe are the solutions to key manufacturing challenges, such as lowering cost of goods and centralized manufacturing, in the cell and gene therapy sector.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to buy Mesa Biotech for $450m in cash and Hillrom will acquire Bardy Diagnostics for $375m in cash. Both deals will add complementary digital health solutions, which may be a continued trend in 2021.

The Brussels-based company has leant on its local knowledge to snap up Leuven-headquartered biotech Handl and its proprietary AAV capsid technology platform.