The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research arm of Northwell Health, landed a $3.4 million grant from the Wellcome Trust to evaluate the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for schizophrenia. Feinstein will undertake a five-year, double-blind, randomized trial to see whether rTMS improves cognitive or other symptoms of schizophrenia. The technology currently has FDA approval for use in individuals with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

As the biopharma industry moves away from the COVID-19 pandemic and expands research in other areas, the amount of money flowing into companies through deals with nonprofit or government entities and grants has plummeted 53% in comparison with 2021. The drop is mainly due to a diminishing number and a lower overall value of bio/nonprofit partnerships. Grants, on the other hand, have risen in both areas.

The number of biopharma deals with nonprofit or government entities has dwindled in recent months, while industry grants are climbing. Combined, however, a total of 936 bio/nonprofit deals and grants worth $11.17 billion is down by 37% in comparison with last year’s $17.8 billion and by 58.7% in comparison with 2020’s $27 billion. The volume also is down significantly by 16.8% from 2021 and by 33.4% from 2020.

While biopharma grants and company deals with nonprofits and government entities have dropped below each of the last two years, the volume of activity for non-pandemic-related efforts has remained steady. A total of 837 biopharma-nonprofit deals and grants combined so far this year are worth $10.8 billion, which is down by 21.6% over last year’s $13.7 billion and by 15.6% over 2021’s 992 volume. Also down are the deals and grants focused on the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wind down, the value of biopharma company deals with nonprofit and government entities, as well as grants, are down nearly 64%. Through mid-May 2022, BioWorld has tracked 309 bio/nonprofit deals worth $1.12 billion, and a total of 129 grants valued at $505.85 million.

The number of biopharma deals with nonprofits or government entities has dropped over last year, partly due to fewer COVID-19-related alliances, but the activity in 2022 is still strong in comparison to pre-pandemic years.

Similar to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated both biopharma deals with nonprofit entities and grants in 2021. Combined, pandemic deals and grants account for 87% of the total value, but only 22% of the volume, for the year. Through the week of Christmas, BioWorld has recorded 388 grants for the industry, valued at $2.94 billion, and 845 bio/nonprofit deals worth $21.44 billion. Of those, 82 grants worth $1.4 billion and 194 deals worth $19.8 billion involved therapeutic and vaccine development or supply agreements for COVID-19.

Biopharma company deals with nonprofit entities, as well as grants, are not keeping the same pace as last year, but the proportion of money flowing into COVID-19 efforts continues to account for the majority of those recorded overall.

Although more than a third of U.S. citizens are fully vaccinated from COVID-19 and society moves closer to normalcy in many parts of the world, the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to dramatically impact biopharma dealmaking with nonprofit entities, as well as grant awards.