The BioWorld Biopharmaceutical Index finished 2025 up 24.07%, building slightly on its 23% gain recorded at the end of November. While the increase trailed the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index’s 32.4% rise for the year, it outperformed the broader Dow Jones Industrial Average, which advanced 12.97%.

U.S. FDA approvals began 2026 at a slower pace than usual, with eight approvals recorded in January.

China’s State Council updated its Drug Administration Law, and the changes mark a substantive evolution in the country’s drug regulatory framework.

Total biopharma financings rose to $10.79 billion in January 2026, up from $9.08 billion in December. The monthly total nearly matched the January 2024 record of $10.9 billion, far exceeding the $6.82 billion average monthly haul in 2025.

Corxel Pharmaceuticals Ltd. completed a $287 million series D round to advance its lead compound, an oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, CX-11, for obese and overweight patients.

After only three $1 billion-plus biopharma deals in November, December saw 14 blockbuster deals worth a total of $21.92 billion, including four deals worth more than $2 billion.

As China emerges as a critical commercial market and a source of global innovation, the newly released 2026 edition of Clarivate’s Drugs to Watch report highlights six drugs to watch in the China market for the year ahead.

Biopharma financing values have shown quarterly volatility over the past decade, with surges often concentrated in specific quarters rather than evenly distributed throughout the year.

There was an upbeat message for cell and gene therapy companies in the 2026 industry update presented as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference opened on Monday, with Tim Hunt, CEO of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, telling delegates that after lean years of learning, adapting and setbacks, the sector is now self-sustaining.

The value of biopharma deals involving nonprofit partners declined sharply over the past several years, falling to about $127.43 million in 2025 after exceeding $21.4 billion in 2021. The 2025 total also represents a steep drop from 2024’s $754.56 million.