Headwinds of political instability, violent conflict, inflation and recession accompany us into 2023. Scrip surveyed industry leaders on the impacts for biopharma.

Deal-making between big pharma and biotech looks set to rise with a looming patent cliff increasing the need for the former to replenish its pipelines. Meanwhile, biotechs need partners to help them advance amid the ongoing big freeze on raising cash on public markets.

From 2013 to November 2022, Chinese pharma companies as a single sponsor started a total of 35 international Phase III clinical studies for innovative drugs in the US, indicating a continuing push by the biopharma sector in the country to leverage increasing innovation to access this huge and lucrative market. Led by BeiGene, 20 firms have placed their bets on such studies and some are planning similar new moves despite an ongoing downturn in industry funding, this infographic analysis shows.

With valuations down and borrowing costs up, many industry insiders are expecting Darwinian scenes in biotech this year. Survival of the fittest is the order of the day: companies with riskier, less commercially defined propositions will struggle, while platform companies with multiple shots on strong goals will increasingly find favor in a more risk-averse environment.