Major pharma companies continue to improve the productivity by taking different approaches like focusing on selected therapy area and markets, merger and acquisition, divestment of non-core brands/segments and consolidation in animal health, vaccines and consumer health care business. Oncology segment has been the key areas of interest for large-cap Pharma companies in 2014/2015. The field of immuno-oncology is currently one of the most explosive fields in biotechnology. Bristol-Myers’s with more concentrated effort in Immuno-Oncology has gained the lead with its Anti-PD-1 drug. Along with Bristol, there’s Merck (MRK), Roche (RHHBY), and AstraZeneca (AZN) as well as chasing the field. The global estimates of Immuno-oncology drug are expected at >$40 billion in the next ten years.
Anti-Infective remains a big attraction for large pharm. Merck acquisition of Cubist for $9 billion and Roche’ in-licensing deal for $1billion was the key highlight. Biosimilar development from Large and Biotech companies are progressing well with many reaching to regulatory space and in lates stage of clinical trials. Biogen Idec streamlined its focus to large-cap drugs for specialty medicine (Multiple Sclerosis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease), Neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, ALS, Neuro-immunology) and rare diseases (Hemophilia, Spinal Muscular Atrophy the and Neuropathic Pain).
Celgene (CELG) keeps capitalizing on its strength in hematology and operational excellence to build global standards of care in the segments of Oncology and Inflammation & Immunology (I&I). Gilead, a prominent player in Hepatitis C therapy areas is looking to expand its learning in Liver disease for another high unmet need of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), while its Oncology segment failed to make any large-cap impact other than approved drug Zydelig. and mechanisms like anti-PD1, anti-PCSK9 Atrophy CDK inhibitors continue to get attraction by
Biotech and pharmaceutical companies pursue targeted and specialized therapies – more than 25% (45 new drugs approval vs. 44 in 2014) of drugs approved by FDA in 2015 are Personalized Medicines. Global Biopharmaceutical Outlook 2016-Global Pharma, released by MP Advisors provides analyses of individual large cap companies, promising drug candidates in their late stage pipelines, competitive landscape, and important therapy areas where new innovation will create leadership, forecast for major marketed drugs where competition/ regulatory scenario will change the dynamics, and the potential impact of several important upcoming milestones on the industry.