Companies such as Novartis, Roche or Takeda are heavily invested in the advanced therapeutics field, usually spreading their bets across multiple modalities. The remaining challenges offer opportunities for the next wave of innovation to transform the field once again and make a dent in the larger market of common diseases and solid tumors.

Initial public offering momentum decelerated as stock prices declined last year, but even with lower valuations making M&A more attractive, the IPO market this year is expected to be active. 

Last year proved to be another record period for securities class actions, with a 13% increase in cases filed compared with 2018, and a 24% increase in claims brought against life sciences companies compared with 2018, according to a report by Cornerstone Research: Securities Class Action Filings: 2019 Year In Review.

Germany’s Cardior is conducting clinical studies with an antisense oligonucleotide which inhibits a cellular microRNA believed to be involved in the pathology of heart failure, and is attracting attention from other pharma companies interested in the potential of this new mechanism of action.