If this year's life sciences sector M&A environment has been red hot, then expect the next 12 months to be white hot. While the number of completed megadeals continues to mount up in 2015 it appears that, despite the challenges of getting those deals done, executives are still chomping at the bit to deploy strong cash reserves to boost their business operations in order to build core competencies and increase product pipelines.

Almost four months ahead of the FDA Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of March 9, 2016, the agency granted accelerated approval to Genmab A/S's anti-CD38 multiple myeloma antibody Darzalex (daratumumab) injection, administered as a single agent for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent or who are double-refractory to a PI and an IMiD agent.

The torrid pace predicted for dealmaking going forward, as identified in the Reed Smith survey described in this issue, was reaffirmed in the fifth annual BDO Biotech Briefing, which found that M&A activity remains strong despite a tough third quarter for biotech stocks and IPOs. The briefing found that almost a quarter (23.6 percent) of companies included on the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NBI) have been involved in M&A transactions so far in 2015.

The FDA approval of Gilead Sciences Inc.'s once-daily, single-tablet regimen branded Genvoya on its Nov. 5 PDUFA date adds another point on the development trajectory graph of antiviral therapies. (See BioWorld Today, Nov.6, 2015.)

After suffering a 20 percent drop in value during August and September, the BioWorld Blue Chip Biotech Index, comprising 20 of the leading companies ranked by market cap, recovered over half of its losses with an 11.5 percent jump in October. Biotech benefited from a calmer, more positive period in the capital markets with the Nasdaq Composite index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average also recording strong growth of 10 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

The fact that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a "ticking time bomb" and a major threat to global health is widely recognized by governments, the scientific community and the biopharmaceutical industry alike. Yet, despite that consensus, advocacy groups focusing on the problem argue that when all is said and done there is more being said than done. As a result, the pace of progress and the amount investments being made in research and development need to be accelerated.

With many of the big Pharma companies about to report their third quarter financial results in the coming days, investors and analysts will be keeping a close eye for clues on whether their senior executives give any indication about their M&A aspirations going forward.

The next few months are going to be busy ones for biotech executives as they rack up frequent flyer miles in order to attend a number of scheduled investor-focused conferences, which culminate in the always popular J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco in January. A presentation at these upcoming events ranks highly on the list of tasks biotech execs have to do in the never-ending quest to attract investment capital and potential partners for their companies. For most, the endeavors have been rewarding of late.

Big pharmas have maintained a torrid pace for accessing biotech innovation to help strengthen their product pipelines. As a result it was a great quarter for biotech deal making, according to data compiled by BioWorld Snapshots, seeing 81 transactions completed between biotech companies and pharma firms – approximately 19 percent more than the number of deals completed in the second quarter of this year.