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.

Public Company Edition: Drug developers continue to take advantage of investors’ preference for biotechnology investments, with CRISPR, Acceleron and BioNTech raising massive sums. The wealth isn’t spreading to everyone, however, as DBV Technologies is restructuring and cutting jobs. 

A review of biopharma start-up dealmaking and financing activity from July through September 2019, based on data from Strategic Transactions. Fundraising activity fell 23% from the second to the third quarter, but start-up M&A surged, led by Vertex's acquisition of Semma. 

Public Company Edition: The prior day's after-hours bad news sent biotech stocks lower on 9 August, and IPOs are taking a breather with the NBI down 2.1% over the past month. However, already public companies are raising cash, including Allakos and Ironwood at $350m each.