During Q1, biopharmas brought in an aggregate $13.8bn in financing. M&A value reached $6.9bn, the majority from Gilead Sciences $4.9bn purchase of immuno-oncology firm Forty Seven. Alliances fetched $35bn in potential deal value, dominated by many Big Pharma tie-ups led by a $4bn discovery and development collaboration between AstraZeneca and Silence Therapeutics for siRNA therapeutics.

Pipeline Watch is a weekly snapshot of selected late-stage clinical trial events and approvals announced by pharmaceutical and biotech companies at medical and industry conferences, in financial and company presentations, and in company releases and statements.

Denmark’s Lundbeck is aiming to build up use of its latest neurological, the long-acting migraine preventative, Vyepti, now that US healthcare is emerging from COVID-19-related restrictions, but is facing headwinds from loss of exclusivity on Northera.