With vaccines now authorized for children as young as six months, omicron boosters in development for the fall, and the nation’s first protein subunit vaccine for COVID-19 pending authorization, the U.S. appears to be well on its way to exiting the turmoil caused by the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. Globally, there is reason for optimism as well.

Clinical data readouts in 2022 have fallen by 14.8% in comparison with the same timeframe last year, and more than half of all reports are for drugs and biologics targeting three major therapeutic areas. In the first six months of the year, there have been 1,707 clinical entries, compared with 2,004 last year.

Nonprofit deals with biopharma companies in 2022 indicate that 92% of the disclosed funds are going toward infectious disease therapies, with COVID-19 accounting for 79% of the total.

While BioWorld’s Biopharmaceutical Index remains down slightly from the end of last year, recent gains by several companies suggest the industry may be beginning to bounce back.

While Pfizer Inc. remains active with mergers and acquisitions, Sanofi SA and Bristol Myers Squibb Co. are major players in the top six biopharma deals of 2022. So far this year, the industry has announced 769 deals, including licensings, joint ventures and collaborations, valued at $88.9 billion.