With the planned $487m acquisition of sensorineural-focused Akouos, Lilly makes its second gene therapy M&A play in two years, on top of partnering/financing activity in the space.

SpringWorks is on course to bring nirogacestat to market by next year – and could play a pivotal role in making BCMA-targeting drugs a success.

During Q2, biopharma merger and acquisition value reached $25.4bn and drew in $27.3bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $2.7bn, while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players completed M&A activity that totaled $534.3m.

Novartis is once again looking to be a pioneer in cell and gene therapy, though this time is selecting a potentially less complex administration method.