More than 100 biopharma executives and experts told Scrip their predictions for therapeutic area advances in the coming year. The recent commercial success of GLP-1s in diabetes and obesity and their potential in further disease areas fuelled excitement around the metabolic space. Expectations were also positive in neurology following the launch of Leqembi for Alzheimer’s disease in 2023, while the multiple opportunities to improve cancer treatment kept oncology top of the pile overall.

Struggling antibiotic company will go privare under the agreement. Bayer will employ Acuitas's liquid nanoparticle technology in gene therapies developed by subsidiary Asklepios.

Coming up after Lilly’s Olumiant and Pfizer’s ritlecitinib in alopecia areata, deuterated ruxolitinib is said to offer a differentiated profile including patient-reported outcomes data.

With only weeks to go in 2022, the three major pharmas each had inked between 16 and 20 deals. Meanwhile, Pfizer has been less busy with 12 deals, but those include M&A totaling $18.2bn.