Although the number of biopharma licensing deals signed in 2018 reached 1,364 with a projected value of $119.5 billion, a four-year high, it appears that number has not satisfied the industry's appetite for dealmaking just yet. According to data from BioWorld and Cortellis Deals Intelligence, there were 418 deals signed in the first quarter of 2019, a whopping 48% higher than the first quarter transactions completed last year. 

Last week, the FDA approved Dovato, the first two-drug, fixed-dose, complete regimen for HIV-infected adults who have never received treatment for HIV. The drug combines dolutegravir, an integrase strand transfer inhibitor, and lamivudine, a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (nuc).