Around 100 executives highlight the hot areas to watch on the R&D front in 2021. From cancer to CNS and from regenerative medicine to real world data, expectations are high on many fronts.

The Indian clinical research segment has managed to retain some buoyancy despite pandemic-related disruptions, with an estimated 70 global trials cleared to October by the regulator. But audiovisual recording of the informed consent process has been particularly challenging in the case of subjects in isolation wards.

An IQVIA executive in Asia sees scope for India to figure routinely on the radar of sponsors for immuno-oncology trials and outlines how some gaps to get there can be plugged.

Second quarter performance was better than expected, but commercial weaknesses show the need for R&D wins and M&A deals as Tecfidera generics and aducanumab uncertainty weigh on the company.