As BIO CEO Jim Greenwood says, “the science is galloping forward”—and this science was on full display at #BIOCEO20, as companies researching everything from precision oncology to treatments for cardiovascular and regenerative diseases and breakthrough gene therapies pitched to investors.
What’s driving investment? Last year, the core drivers of industry mergers, deals, and investment were things like cost and patent cliffs, said E. Eric Tokat, Partner at Centerview Partners LLC. But this year, it’s science.
Gene therapy, right? Selling gene therapy is the next wave, said Geoff Meyerson, CEO and Co-Founder of Locust Walk. But if you actually look at deals, there’s still "an awful lot of small molecule deals getting done and an awful lot of small molecule therapies getting approved by the FDA," he said. “There’s still a lot of value in the traditional types of assets.”
But there are challenges ahead: Finding a standardized, efficient way of producing clinical and commercial scale of breakthrough treatments, safety, AI, big data, and ensuring payors know the drugs work—just to name a few.
What they’re saying: “We’re on the first or second inning of scientific revolution. We will continue to see dealmaking,” said Tokat—but the uncertainty, specifically with the election and looming drug pricing legislation, could derail it.