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.

Biotech entrepreneurs tend to be an optimistic group, and there were many pockets of hope for 2024. However, the consensus remains that depressed valuations and paucity of fresh funds will continue to pose a challenge for the sector, and companies will need to prioritize carefully and work even harder to demonstrate and create value.

Recent executive-level hires and director appointments at venture capital firms and biopharma and medtech start-ups.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, a premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a  monthly review of emerging In Vitro  Diagnostic, Medical Device, and Pharmaceutical companies that have received venture funding. This month’s column covers deals announced September through October 2014.