Trends in Biotech Deals By Technology
Executive Summary
What are the hot areas in biotech dealmaking? We've tracked dealmaking volume over the past three years to track trends across the different fields of biotech.
What are the hot areas in biotech dealmaking? In the chart below, we've looked at dealmaking volume over the past three years to track trends across the different fields of biotech (we only included biotech categories for which there were at least 20 deals in 2001; for trends in all categories, see the ‘Statistics' section of Windhover's Pharmaceutical Strategic Alliances, Vol. 12).
Deals in genomics and proteomics led all other categories by far, and seems to continue to rise (2001 data includes January through July)—largely due to the inherent relicensability of the technology. By our count, non-exclusive database licensor Incyte Genomics Inc. alone participated in 36 alliances in the chart's time period.
While the steadily dropping numbers in gene/cell therapy and molecular diversity is in part due to waning interest in these fields on the part of in-licensors, they're also indicators of the maturation of these fields via mergers of small boutique firms into larger, more integrated (and more easily financed) companies. For instance, in the time periods below, the gene therapy field saw the combinations of such prolific independent dealmakers as MegaBios and GeneMedicine into Valentis Inc. [See Deal], Targeted Genetics Corp. and Genovo Inc. [See Deal], and DeveloGen AG and HepaVec AG [See Deal]. Likewise, molecular diversity saw active dealmakers Aurora Biosciences Corp. folded into Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. [See Deal] and CombiChem Ltd. acquired by EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. Inc. [See Deal], reducing the number of potential deal partners.