The BioWorld Drug Developers Index (BDDI) rose 6.42% in the first two months of 2026, outpacing both the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NBI) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).
At BioEurope Spring 2026, pharma representatives and investors shared their thoughts about current and future landscapes of different disease areas, and on how to move toward success – both at the level of individual companies and for indications as a whole.
The first day of Bio-Europe Spring, being held for the first time in Lisbon this year, featured panels on the partnering landscape in specific indications, as well as a more general panel on “Piecing Together the Therapeutic Landscape with Analyst Insights.” One theme of the panel was that by and large, large companies are looking for deals with companies that fit with their existing programs – but that such a fit can come in many forms.
Drug approvals by the U.S. FDA totaled 26 in the first two months of 2026, with eight approvals in January and 18 in February. Compared with 2025, when approvals reached 12 in January and 16 in February (28 total), early 2026 activity is consistent with historical ranges.
In a sea of uncertainty, a large-scale, long-term Swedish study is the first to show that people using GLP-1 receptor agonists are less likely to have worsening mental illness. The study involved a national cohort of 95,490 people diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorder, who also were treated with any diabetes drug (apart from insulin).
In one fell swoop March 16, a U.S. federal judge stayed the CDC’s January memo revising the childhood vaccine schedule and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as reconstituted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, along with everything that committee has done since early June.
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