2022 was an unspectacular year on the biotech M&A front. The industry witnessed a decline in both deal volume and value, as potential purchasers exercised caution due to economic and geopolitical uncertainties. The aggregate total deal value of all M&A transactions signed in 2022 has significantly dropped by 55 per cent, plummeting from $225 billion to just $103 billion during the same period, according to IQVIA Pharma Deals.
But that’s set to change and the landscape is looking hopeful fuelled by several billion dollar acquisitions by big pharma firms. Five big pharma companies (AstraZeneca (UK), Pfizer (USA), Sanofi (France) Merck (USA) and GSK (UK)) have announced acquisitions worth approximately $60 billion in total, raising hopes that this could be a rebound year for biotech M&A.
AstraZeneca was the first to make a move, announcing on January 9, 2023, its plan to acquire CinCor Pharma, a US-based company, for $1.8 billion. The acquisition aims to enhance AstraZeneca’s pipeline for treating hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Then, on March 13, 2023, came Pfizer’s proposed acquisition of Seagen for an eye-popping $43 billion, enhancing the American multinational’s position as a leading company in oncology. On the same day, French drugmaker Sanofi acquired US-based Provention Bio for $2.9 billion to bolster its portfolio of diabetes medicines.
On April 16, 2023, US-based behemoth Merck purchased Prometheus Biosciences, an American clinical-stage biotechnology company specialising in immune-mediated diseases, for $10.8 billion. On April 18, 2023, British drug major GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced its acquisition of Canadian firm BELLUS Health for $2.0 billion, gaining access to a potential best-in-class treatment for chronic cough.
Bu hikaye BioSpectrum Asia dergisinin July 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye BioSpectrum Asia dergisinin July 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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New South Wales government injects $5M for critical research to address Silicosis crisis
The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia has committed $5 million in critical funding for silicosis research and a patient support programme for individuals and their families navigating the health risks associated with exposure to silica dust.
Singapore approves new asthma indication for GSK's Trelegy Ellipta
GSK Singapore has announced that the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved a new indication and a new strength for Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol 'FF/UMEC/VI') for the maintenance treatment of asthma in patients aged 18 years and older who are not adequately controlled with a combination of a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) and an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS).
What's APAC's Recipe of Success in CLINICAL TRIALS MARKET?
Asia-Pacific APAC) is emerging as one of the most promising and resilient markets for clinical trials. According to a report by Clinical Trials Arena, between 2017 and 2022, the region posted growth in clinical trials of around 10 per cent, outstripping growth in other major regions including the US, Europe and the rest of the world RoW). Asia’s growth far exceeded the overall average figure of 5.3 per cent per year. As of 2023, the number of trials reached 14,346 in APAC. Let's delve into the thriving clinical research landscape in the region and explore the trends driving its growth.
From Haematologic to Autoimmune DiseaseThe CAR-T Therapy Second Revolution
Cell and gene therapies have revolutionised the field of medicine, offering new treatment options for patients with various diseases that, by type of disease or severity, were considered untreatable until a few years ago. Rapid technological advancements in genetic and biological engineering and improvements in the quality and standardisation of the manufacturing process are fostering a marked increase in clinical development of these advanced therapies, generally named cell and gene therapies CGT), and they are expected to receive more approvals in the near future.
"Biotech startups still need support in terms of talent, and resources to bring their innovations to market"
Raymond Chow has recently stepped in as the Vice President, Asia Pacific at USheadquartered Cytiva, a global provider of technologies and services for biological therapies, formerly known as GE Healthcare Life Sciences.
"We are exploring opportunities to collaborate with startups and incubators"
Agilent Technologies, a global leader in analytical and clinical laboratory technologies, has named Padraig McDonnell CEO-elect and Chief Operating Officer (COO), succeeding current President and CEO Mike McMullen.
"Australia offers a simple, supportive and robust regulatory process to initiate human trials efficiently"
US-based Uvax Bio, LLC, a spin-off vaccine company from Scripps Research, employs proprietary 1c-SApNP platform technology invented by Dr Jiang Zhu of Scripps Research to develop and commercialise prophylactic vaccines for challenging infectious diseases.
"Regulatory encouragement of advanced tech, including AI will accelerate clinical trials in APAC"
Lokavant Holdings, a US-based clinical trial intelligence technology company provides clinical trial intelligence that enables study teams to make data-driven decisions, as well as risk-based quality management and monitoring services to pharmaceutical companies and contract research organisations (CROs).
What Are the Main Challenges of Modern Clinical Trials?
With a cumulative total of almost 478,000 globally registered trials from the year 2000 to 2023, and growing at around 10 per cent a year in the last five years, the pharmaceutical industry continues to invest in clinical trials as the gold-standard test of therapeutic safety and efficacy. In addition, as the world’s economies and populations move in new directions, the share of non-US trials has reached 54 per cent, a trend that is likely to continue, driven by demographics and epidemiology. As the pace accelerates, trial managers and clinicians face a significant challenge: the explosive growth of data volumes. To succeed in the future, clinical trials need to increase efficiency and better utilise clinical trial data to support informed clinical and operational decision-making.
How APAC Has Turned into Clinical Trial Behemoth
From being a consistent participant in clinical trial conduct worldwide, the APAC has emerged as a major power. A number of causes, including the region's thriving drug development innovation and the ongoing presence of international pharmaceutical corporations conducting multiregional studies, are driving this growth.
