Biotech investors had every reason to feel bullish heading into the new decade. The sector had turned around in 2019 and was riding a wave of a very strong fourth-quarter performance, with the BioWorld Biopharmaceutical Index closing up 14% for the year after being underwater from April through to September. Unfortunately, those great expectations were quickly erased during J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference week (Jan. 10 – Jan. 17), which turned out to be a very low-key affair absent of any blockbuster M&A revelations. As a result, confidence has now given way to concerns about the prospects for biopharmaceutical companies going forward, particularly as unfavorable political rhetoric on drug pricing will certainly be dialed up during this election year.

Delegates convening in San Francisco Monday for the 38th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and other related biotechnology conferences running at the same time will certainly be in a better frame of mind than just 12 months ago. Back then, the sector had just come off a terrible fourth quarter, with investors shying away from biopharma company equities big time.

Proteostasis Therapeutics Inc. CEO Meenu Chhabra pointed to a “new reality in cystic fibrosis [CF] research” faced by her firm and others: the challenge of enrolling the best patients.

It has been a productive year for cell and gene therapy companies, and every week the sector never fails to generate exciting news flow to keep investors engaged. Given these ongoing developments, it is not surprising that companies involved in the area continue to attract financing and strategic partners.