Aspect says its bioprinted tissue therapeutics include immune-resistant encapsulation, which Novo Nordisk hopes will offer a safer approach to type 1 diabetes cell therapy.

Vertex will pay $320m to buy rival ViaCyte, which is developing stem cell therapies for type 1 diabetes, to complement internal work on VX-880, the firm announced.

Only nine weeks after US approval, Trikafta, which in theory can treat 90% of all patients with cystic fibrosis, is already Vertex's top-selling medicine.

Growth gaps and a desire to concentrate on a small number of therapeutic areas are expected to continue to drive M&A in 2020, but thought needs to be given to investing in data-driven and digital technologies, a new EY report says.