Vietnam’s pharma market has seen constant growth over the last decade, driven by rising incomes and an aging population. Spending on drugs is expected to rise by more than 10% in 2021.

BioInnovation Institute chief business officer Bobby Soni shares how the life sciences incubator sources entrepreneurs and science globally, and the range of tools it provides to translate this into commercially viable companies. 

Lithuania’s life sciences sector has harnessed the country’s talent, infrastructure and government support to realize a decade of unprecedented growth. With the industry now maturing, can the Baltic state overcome challenges to become a significant European player?

BioInnovation Institute chief business officer Bobby Soni shares how the life sciences incubator sources entrepreneurs and science globally, and the range of tools it provides to translate this into commercially viable companies. 

If targeted therapies for cancer represent a more precise, laser-like attack on solid tumors and blood cancers, cytotoxic chemotherapies are more like a ham-fisted boxer punching every cell in sight. New methods for delivering chemotherapy directly into cancer cells may help to improve efficacy and reduce – or eliminate – damaging and sometimes deadly side effects.    

As leader of Stanford’s Cancer Computational and Systems Biology group, Christina Curtis, one of In Vivo’s 2021 Rising Leaders, is working to shed new light on the mysteries of metastatic cancer. Curtis’s use of computational models to analyze genetic mutations in breast cancer earned her an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award.

Experts in drug development, clinical care and digital therapeutics discuss gaps in the treatment landscape for Alzheimer’s disease, as well as opportunities for prevention and innovation in care delivery.   

A selection of articles you might have missed from September 2021, including exclusive interviews and a look at pharma marketing trends in 2021.

An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.

As the threat of digital insurgents grows, traditional payers and providers will need to leverage advanced technologies to address core issues facing the US health care system. 

A potential decline in mRNA vaccine protection against the Delta variant is raising questions about the need for booster shots in the US. Ocugen Inc. and partner Bharat Biotech hope the changing dynamic of COVID-19 in the US will induce the FDA to reconsider additional clinical trial requirements for Covaxin, an inactivated whole virus vaccine authorized for emergency use in 16 countries. 

Royal Philips’ image-guided therapy business has rebounded, as expected, after the COVID-19 dip, and is now targeting expansion in a number of areas, as business leader Bert van Meurs explains. 

Three $1bn+ alliances were penned in September. Topping the list was a potential $3.25bn deal between Adaptimmune Therapeutics and Roche's Genentech for the development and commercialization of allogeneic T-cell therapies in multiple oncology indications. Adaptimmune will be responsible for developing clinical candidates using its induced pluripotent stem cell-derived allogeneic platform to produce T-cells. Genentech will be responsible for the input TCRs and subsequent clinical development and commercialization. Adaptimmune has the right to opt in to a 50/50 US profit/cost share on off-the-shelf products.

In Vivo's Deal-Making column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced in September 2021. Data provided by Biomedtracker. 

Medtech companies accessing the EU market must be fully compliant with the new Medical Device Regulation by 26 May 2024 – but the regulatory structure is incomplete and companies also have the ongoing pandemic to contend with.