Market Intelligence

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.

Eight $1bn+ alliances were penned in July. Topping the list was a potential $2.8bn deal under which Alnylam granted Roche exclusive global rights outside the US to develop and commercialize its Phase II hypertension candidate zilebesiran. The companies will co-develop zilebesiran in the US.

A selection of articles you may have missed from July 2023, including an interview with Abivax CEO Marc De Garidel, a roundup of biopharma dealmaking activity in the first half of 2023 and a look at Seres’ and Ferring’s launch strategies in recurrent C. diff market.

Infographic: An estimated 64 priority review vouchers have been issued by the US FDA since the scheme started in 2007. 25 vouchers have been claimed but 39 remain unused. Priority review vouchers do not expire and can be sold.

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 July 2023. Data provided by 

During Q2, biopharma merger and acquisition deal value reached $29bn and drew in $36.8bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $988m, while in vitro diagnostics and research tools players’ M&A activity totaled $450m.

During Q2, biopharmas brought in an aggregate $23.8bn in financing and device company fundraising totaled $2.4bn; while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players raised $684m.

Staff burnout, workforce attrition and patient backlogs are testing the resiliency of health systems. Crisis is not too big a word. Against this backdrop, GE HealthCare commissioned a major report, Reimagining Better Health 2023, which suggested ways of increasing trust and confidence in healthcare provider systems as they evolve.

Novo Nordisk’s new generation of GLP-1 products have led to never-before-seen rates of medication-induced weight loss but require a lifelong commitment from patients to maintain these results – a commitment the market may not be able to rely on, since patients have not generally tended to stay on GLP-1 medications long-term. 

High quality data reporting will be crucial if the healthcare and life sciences sectors are to achieve net zero compliance of carbon emissions. This 12th instalment of In Vivo’s rolling E in ESG series reports on the growing body of disclosure and reporting laws and platforms.

Three $1bn+ alliances were penned in June. Topping the list was a potential $2.5bn deal under which Bausch & Lomb acquired Novartis’ Xiidra (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution) for signs and symptoms of dry eye disease; investigational compounds SAF312 (libvatrep) for chronic ocular surface pain and OJL332 for an undisclosed ophthalmic indication; plus rights to use the AcuStream delivery device in dry eye indications.

A selection of articles you may have missed from May 2023, including a discussion on pharma's resilience to harsh market conditions, a comparison of productivity and R&D growth for the pharma top 30 and a dive into diversity's positive impacts on business growth.

China, Japan and South Korea are the top economic powerhouses of Asia. They compete not only for production industries such as electronics, but also for medical sciences. China has enormous resources compared with the two other nations.