Founded in 1885 by Albert Boehringer and now comprised of 146 affiliated companies worldwide and a workforce of roughly 50,000 people, Boehringer Ingelheim has stood the test of time.

Focus On Switzerland – Part 4: The fragile nature of start-ups belies their value in medtech innovation, and they do not need unnecessary regulatory complications.

One hundred billion dollars. That is the combined revenue of the top 10 pharmaceuticals in 2020, marking the first year in which this threshold has been crossed. AbbVie’s Humira easily retained its lead in 2020 with $20.3bn in sales. Gilead Sciences’ HIV triple combo Biktarvy was the fastest climber, entering the top 10 in eighth place after 53.2% growth in a year, while Avastin, Enbrel and Rituxan fell out of the list.

Cross-industry collaboration is the new focus of EU health care technology research funding activity. Under Horizon Europe, the Innovative Health Initiative will encourage convergence in health technology, and prioritize digital technologies and data analytics. No longer can EU-funded projects be pharma-only or medtech-only, said MedTech Europe’s Patrick Boisseau.

UK-based Immodulon Therapeutics is developing novel immunomodulators in the form of heat-killed bacteria, being trialed in combination with other cancer treatments such as checkpoint inhibitors. The biotech is initially looking at underserved areas, including pancreatic cancer.

We are at a pivotal point in the reassessment of our approach to innovation, with the value of ‘design thinking’ and an ‘iterative innovation approach’ becoming the most promising solutions to solving the scientific and biological challenges of the future.

The family-owned German pharma dates back to 1885 and tries to keep up with its publicly traded peers by not mimicking everything they do, but with a “value by innovation” focus.

Focus On Switzerland – Part 3: Robotics means different things to different surgeons, according to Swiss innovator Distalmotion, whose surgical robot combines with laparoscopy to leave the surgeon fully in control in the OR.

Focus On Switzerland – Part 2. Health warning to global medtechs: the world’s largest medtech company is taking steps to strengthen key account management, retain its market share hold and set up new health care partnerships.

Biosimilar interchangeability is a hot topic in the US, with the first FDA decision on a formal interchangeability designation expected this month. But across the industry, views differ dramatically on the desirability and likely impact of this additional standard to biosimilarity.

Hayden Kennedy, AbbVie’s VP of global policy and US access strategies, and one of In Vivo’s 2021 Rising Leaders, shares her approach to tackling gender diversity and discusses how a background in government has helped shape her thinking in pharma.

The butterfly effect is an elegant analogy to describe the seemingly unpredictable and far-reaching implications of a relatively small and inconsequential event. The FDA’s approval of Aduhelm is not so much a butterfly gently flapping its wings, but rather a sonic boom emanating from a jet engine. Most immediately, it provides a new therapeutic option for millions of patients in dire need of hope, vindicating Biogen’s faith with a revenue stream running into many billions of dollars. Longer-term the reverberations may be felt across the entire industry, throwing into question the evidentiary requirement for drug development.

Six $1bn+ alliances were penned in June. Topping the list was Eisai’s potential $3.1bn collaboration Bristol-Myers Squibb for the co-development and co-commercialization of Eisai’s antibody drug conjugate MORAb-202 in Japan, China, select countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the US, Canada, Europe (including the EU and UK), and Russia. The candidate is in Phase I in Japan and Phase I/II in the US for anti-folate receptor alpha-positive solid tumors.

Focus On Switzerland – Part 4: The fragile nature of start-ups belies their value in medtech innovation, and they do not need unnecessary regulatory complications.

Focus On Switzerland – Part 1: Switzerland is a high-tech microcosm of the medtech industry. It is home to the EMEA headquarters of the world’s largest medtech group, Medtronic, and supports a vibrant SME and start-up community, in the example of hybrid soft tissue robotics company Distalmotion. In Vivo interviewed both for this feature on the contribution of Swiss medtech in the advancement of patient care, domestically and globally.