Major Japanese firm sets targets under a new mid-term plan that envisages the US oncology sector leading growth and revenues, and also casts an eye to novel assets beyond three pillar antibody-drug conjugates and new digital technologies.

Leaving the validation of a drug target until the end of Phase III studies is risky, but working on the unvalidated targets identified by others is riskier still.

Executives share their expectations and hopes around the multi-faceted topic of patient access to medicines. From health inequities to value assessment and reimbursement trends, expectations for change abound.

The number of new drugs containing new active substances approved in the EU rose significantly in 2020, underpinned by a strong showing for orphan-designated products and a string of novel medicines for cancer and infectious diseases. Notable among the new clutch of approvals was the first ever COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer/BioNTech's Comirnaty.