Despite patient dissatisfaction, contraceptive options have made little advancement since the turn of the century – but a cohort of novel, non-hormonal products could see this all change.

Cidara gets $30m up front for US rights to the weekly echinocandin candidate for candidemia and invasive candidiasis. Takeda walks away from oncolytic virus candidate licensed from Turnstone.

Evolving challenges will keep the COVID-19 pipeline active, while oncology, immunology and CNS are areas also expected to see much progress in 2022. Industry executives look forward to the year in therapeutic R&D.

If the beginning of 2017 was marked by doubts around whether and how the FDA would act with respect to complex diagnostics, we enter 2018 feeling that slow-moving vessel may finally be turning.