More than 100 biopharma executives and experts told Scrip their predictions for therapeutic area advances in the coming year. The recent commercial success of GLP-1s in diabetes and obesity and their potential in further disease areas fuelled excitement around the metabolic space. Expectations were also positive in neurology following the launch of Leqembi for Alzheimer’s disease in 2023, while the multiple opportunities to improve cancer treatment kept oncology top of the pile overall.

Bristol Myers Squibb will double its neuroscience portfolio from one to two drugs after it pays $330 per share for Karuna and its lead asset KarXT, accelerating the big pharma’s diversification plans.

Bristol aims to bring more drugs into the clinic as fast as possible without compromising on quality, with many novel molecules emerging from its productive protein degradation and cell therapy platforms.

More than 20 years since its forerunner tried to develop the first anti-amyloid drug, Prothena’s CEO tells Scrip about its hopes for producing a best-in-class subcutaneous treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.