After a year in which investor sentiment went from bad to worse, 2024 has started on a more positive note. Last week’s JP Morgan conference saw a flurry of partnership and acquisition announcements, building on the last couple of weeks of December which saw 2023’s deal making end with a bang. If the end is in sight, what can we expect from 2024?
As it happens, we’ve had a go at answering that in our new 2024 Preview report in which we’ve crunched the numbers to identify some of the big hitters in the coming year. If you like a list (and who doesn’t?) it’s well worth a look as we forecast the top 10 selling drugs and the biggest companies. We also investigate the biggest potential launches, and the most valuable R&D projects in the pipeline.
It will shock no one to learn that the 10 top selling drugs sees Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic high on the list. What’s interesting, though, is that if you combine all Novo’s semaglutide sales (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), then overall sales overtake the chart-topping Keytruda’s sales. There’s a similar story in the biggest new sales generators list too, where combining all of Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide products (Mounjaro and Zepbound) pushes that product set to number two – after Wegovy.
By its nature, the report focuses on the projects and companies with the largest commercial potential, but there is much more activity beyond these blockbusters. Gene therapy will continue to be a preoccupation for biopharma this year, although commercial potential remains a question. Abeona’s prademagene zamikeracel, the first gene therapy for the devastating skin condition, epidermolysis bullosa, will hear on approval this year. And the first therapy to use gene editing, Vertex and Crispr Therapeutics’ Casgevy for sickle cell, is like to commence its global roll out, following green lights in UK and US.
Elsewhere, Car-T technologies is likely to be a theme, particularly after the safety issue flagged by the FDA. This could have repercussions as Car-T moves beyond cancer into autoimmune conditions. Early data in diseases like lupus will be a huge focus for the sector this year.
There is a plenty of food for thought in the report, and more that we’ll be following up on later in the year. If you want a quick spin through the highlights of the report’s data, there’s an infographic with the highlights available here.
Meanwhile, we’re well into January and if we can keep the kids in the back of the car occupied for a little while longer, we’ll might just be able to say “yes, now we’re here”.
