US rivals to Narcan will face obstacles as they attempt to compete in the public interest market, Emergent’s CEO told the virtual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Major deals showed an increasing focus on domestic tie-ups while an unsatiable appetite for innovation drove drug firms to actively seek out biotechs for collaboration.

Out of the more than 40 approvals granted to new drugs in China in 2021, domestic companies bagged around half to catch up with their multinational peers in the annual innovation scorecard.

Merging with a special purpose acquisition corporation is a viable funding tool, but it may not be the best choice for drug developers far from key milestones.