Heading into the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference, pharmas have been focusing on discovery alliances. J&J’s deals look into novel tissue-targeted drugs, ionic liquid delivery technology and cancer vaccine R&D. Lilly teams with Entos on novel methods for delivering neurology drugs.

A US FDA review panel has given a lukewarm reception to molnupiravir, while Inovio is assessing its vaccine candidates against the new omicron variant, J&J nears a South African vaccine deal with Aspen, and South Korea brings in new COVID-19 measures. Meanwhile, Serum exports Novavax vaccine, Bharat looks at Covaxin in Omicron and Ocugen's Covaxin trial put on hold. 

While the stock prices of a few biotech companies have advanced significantly as a result of their pandemic efforts, a broad biotech stock index has underperformed the pharmaceutical index. Why?

Roche has bowed out of the race to develop an oral COVID-19 therapy, leaving a lucrative but likely short-lived market for its rivals.