INFOGRAPHIC: A snapshot of the industry in key performance indicators surrounding R&D taken in early 2021.

Market Snapshot: GSK's Blenrep and BMS's Abecma are the first of many drugs for the late-line setting. In many cases, the CAR-T may be the first choice, but some patients are unable to handle it or risk progressing while awaiting treatment.

AbbVie’s Humira easily retained its lead in 2020 with $20.3bn in sales. Gilead Sciences’ HIV triple combo Biktarvy was the fastest climber, entering the top 10 in eighth place after 53.2% growth in a year, while Avastin, Enbrel and Rituxan fell out of the list.

GlaxoSmithKline has discontinued treatment with its ICOS agonist feladilimab in the Phase II INDUCE-3 trial upon the recommendation of the study’s data monitoring committee, another setback for the big pharma’s plans to become a major force in the cancer therapy area.

Market Snapshot: Gilead’s Biktarvy and ViiV’s two-drug regimens are expected to dominate the HIV market over the next few years as market exclusivity losses loom, but drugs with new mechanisms of action, and longer-acting products, might influence market dynamics.   

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the size of the pharma R&D pipeline in 2020 could be felt in a number of ways.

Around 100 executives highlight the hot areas to watch on the R&D front in 2021. From cancer to CNS and from regenerative medicine to real world data, expectations are high on many fronts.

Executives expect the changes wrought by necessity in the face of a global pandemic to have lasting effects, both positive and negative, on the biopharma sector. Here they share their predictions for the coming year.

Roche’s first-in-class one-dose antiviral Xofluza has been approved for marketing in the EU to treat influenza in patients aged 12 years or over, and for post-exposure prophylaxis.