Numerous life sciences firms are targeting digital health and diagnostic companies for take-outs and licensing deals, placing the med-tech industry in a strong position in 2022.

Although the death toll in the U.S. is nearing 1 million lives lost, signs continue to suggest that an end is in sight for the COVID-19 pandemic, the most disruptive global health crisis in a century. Now, into its third year, those at-risk have numerous options and growing numbers of people have achieved immunity through vaccines and infection.

Although the death toll in the U.S. is nearing 1 million lives lost, signs continue to suggest that an end is in sight for the COVID-19 pandemic, the most disruptive global health crisis in a century.

About 56% of the clinical data recorded by BioWorld in 2022 target therapies for oncology, as well as infectious and neurological diseases, but news on COVID-19 efforts continue to dwindle compared with last year.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wind down, the value of biopharma company deals with nonprofit and government entities, as well as grants, are down nearly 64%. Through mid-May 2022, BioWorld has tracked 309 bio/nonprofit deals worth $1.12 billion, and a total of 129 grants valued at $505.85 million.

While biopharma mergers and acquisitions are at an all-time low, a company that stood in the front battle lines fighting the COVID-19 pandemic not only completed the top M&A so far in 2022, but it also announced plans for another mega-merger shortly thereafter.

Signs of hope at the end of March were quickly dashed in the last several weeks as BioWorld’s Biopharmaceutical Index (BBI) plunged once again, albeit not as dramatically as the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index. The BBI is down by 4.4% for the year, as of May 11, while NBI has fallen 28.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down by 12.4%. It is a situation that several analysts say could provide an opportunity for investors.

For the first time since the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, global deaths caused by the disease have fallen to their lowest point, as immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants continues to build. Infections and deaths appear to be decelerating, an optimistic sign that the pandemic may be nearing an end.

With 47% fewer biopharma financings than last year, investors who were once enthused over the industry’s potential in combatting the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus appear to be taking a step back. So far in 2022, the industry has raised $18 billion across 346 financings through the first week of May. By the same time in 2021, it had raised three times that amount, $53.9 billion through 651 transactions.