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.

Research shows bringing trials to community oncology centers remains a daunting task, but Verily and OneOncology aim to help with new clinical trial management software. In other trial news, MindBio’s LSD goes into Phase II; Erasca starts tumor agnostic program; the Project to Accelerate New Treatments for Tuberculosis launched an international study investigating new combinations; and more.

Much of the focus on the French major’s MS pipeline has been on the BTK inhibitor tolebrutinib but promising Phase II data on frexalimab have caught the eye.

Public Company Edition: J&J’s consumer health spinout Kenvue grossed $3.8bn in its public market debut and Acelyrin raised $540m in an upsized IPO. Also, Seres accessed $250m in new debt for Vowst commercialization while follow-on offerings raised $325m for ImmunoGen and $240m for Morphic.