The regenerative medicine sector continues to thrive according to the first-quarter 2018 report released by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the Washington-based organization that advocates and supports the global development of regenerative and advanced therapies. Coming off an approximate 9 percent year-over-year growth in the number of regenerative medicine companies around the world at the end of last year, ARM identified 861 regenerative medicine companies that are currently in operation, including those involved in gene and cell therapies and tissue engineering.

The long-term goal of the All of Us research program is to build a national cohort of one of the largest, most diverse datasets of its kind to support health research and ultimately expand the knowledge and practice of precision medicine. It was conceived as a key element with the January 2015 launch of the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI), following an announcement made by President Obama who called the $215 million project a “new era of medicine.” 

Any thoughts that the fortunes of public biopharmaceutical companies would change following a sub-par first quarter have been quickly dispelled after the sector chalked up another losing month with the BioWorld Biopharmaceutical index closing down about 2.5 percent that added to its overall 7 percent swoon since the beginning of the year.

Any thoughts that the fortunes of public biopharmaceutical companies would change following a sub-par first quarter have been quickly dispelled after the sector chalked up another losing month with the BioWorld Biopharmaceutical index closing down about 2.5 percent that added to its overall 7 percent swoon since the beginning of the year.

The amount of money that the industry invests in supporting product pipeline development continues to escalate. The massive boost in their research budgets in recent years is being made possible by the ability of public companies to continue to readily access the public markets and raise capital. 

Despite the fact that the industry inked more than 1,000 deals last year, it appears that biopharma companies are not losing their appetite for dealmaking. According to data from BioWorld and Cortellis Deals Intelligence, there were 271 deals signed in the first quarter of 2018, on par with 2017 first quarter transactions. 

One of the metrics used to gauge the industry's progress is the number of new medicines that receive regulatory approval annually. The returns from the first quarter indicate that the innovation engine is in good shape and biopharma companies appear to be on pace to match the totals they achieved in the past couple of years. 

Despite the fact that the industry inked more than 1,000 deals last year, it appears that biopharma companies are not losing their appetite for dealmaking. According to data from BioWorld and Cortellis Deals Intelligence, there were 271 deals signed in the first quarter of 2018, on par with 2017 first quarter transactions. However, the total value of those deals topped $30 billion, which is 33 percent higher than last year's total, reflecting that it has become a seller's market with competition for biotech assets driving up their price. 

At one time the industry would congratulate itself if it managed to raise $20 billion in a single year. Now companies appear to have no difficulty capturing that amount over a three-month period whether the financial markets are favorable or not.

It looks like private companies can do no wrong as far as raising capital is concerned. Last year, global companies collectively raised $10.9 billion, a total that stands as a record for the industry. However, that amount could be quickly eclipsed based on the $4 billion generated in the first quarter of this year. The total represents almost double the amounts raised in the first quarters of 2017 ($2.15 billion) and 2015 ($2.29 billion), the two years that currently hold the number one and two positions for most private money raised annually by the industry at $10.9 billion and $10.35 billion, respectively.