More than four decades on from the approval of the first biologic drug, the industry has reached a tipping point, and biotech drugs now outnumber small molecules in the global R&D pipeline.

Cortec GmbH is preparing to implant its brain-computer interface (BCI) technology into a third stroke patient, with early clinical data showing that the device leads to significant improvement in hand and arm function. The company believes its Brain Interchange system could transform the lives of millions of patients.

Revenio Group Oyj has agreed to acquire ophthalmic diagnostics company Visionix International SAS for an enterprise value of €290 million (US$339 million) as it looks to become a leading player in the global eye care market. The deal expands Revenio’s offering with a highly complementary product and software portfolio, including optical coherence tomography equipment, an important and growing segment which is new to the company.

There are new data to chew over in the ongoing controversy about obesity being diagnosed as a disease from a study tracking 157,159 participants in the UK Biobank over 13 years. This shows that even in the absence of any metabolic disturbance such as elevated lipids, high blood pressure or diabetes, there is an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure and liver disease in people with a body mass index over 30.

There are new data to chew over in the ongoing controversy about obesity being diagnosed as a disease from a study tracking 157,159 participants in the UK Biobank over 13 years. This shows that even in the absence of any metabolic disturbance such as elevated lipids, high blood pressure or diabetes, there is an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure and liver disease in people with a body mass index over 30.

More than four decades on from the approval of the first biologic drug, the industry has reached a tipping point, and biotech drugs now outnumber small molecules in the global R&D pipeline. At the start of the biotech industry, progress was slow. Between 1983 and 1995, the U.S. FDA approved an average of two biologics each year. Now, biologics have taken the lead by the smallest of margins, accounting for 50.1% of drugs in development at the start of 2026, according to the Pharma Annual Review 2026, published by Pharmaprojects, a firm that tracks global pharma R&D.

More than four decades on from the approval of the first biologic drug, the industry has reached a tipping point, and biotech drugs now outnumber small molecules in the global R&D pipeline.

C4 Therapeutics Inc.’s degrader-antibody conjugate (DAC) strategy gathered more steam with a new collaboration between the firm and Roche AG that brings $20 million up front with the potential for more than $1 billion in discovery, regulatory and commercial milestone payments.

The U.S. confirmed the agreement in principle made last December to exempt U.K. pharmaceuticals from import tariffs, as the U.K government put its commitment to spend more on patented drugs into effect.