Vertex will pay $320m to buy rival ViaCyte, which is developing stem cell therapies for type 1 diabetes, to complement internal work on VX-880, the firm announced.

Only nine weeks after US approval, Trikafta, which in theory can treat 90% of all patients with cystic fibrosis, is already Vertex's top-selling medicine.

Growth gaps and a desire to concentrate on a small number of therapeutic areas are expected to continue to drive M&A in 2020, but thought needs to be given to investing in data-driven and digital technologies, a new EY report says.

Given the transformative nature of regenerative medicines, treatments yielding greatly improved patient responses that now exist as viable products on the market, cell and gene drug developers over the past several years have been drawing deal attention. Not only through collaborative partnerships, but also as acquisition targets.