CNS may finally be emerging from its long discussed graveyard. Oncology dealmaking is becoming more selective. And sourcing innovation from China is no longer something to be coy about.
These were some of my takeaways from BIO-Europe Spring in Lisbon last week, where the Evaluate team was on the ground sharing data led insight on dealmaking, portfolio strategy, and competitive intelligence. Alongside moderating multiple sessions, the team also fueled conversations at the Evaluate booth with quite astonishing quantities of coffee from our in-booth barista.
If you attended the event, we hope you managed to grab a cappuccino and spend some time with the team. If not, you missed some excellent content sessions, many of which were moderated by Evaluate experts. We were delighted to take the stage across four therapy area sessions, each of which provided context for the conversation using Evaluate’s latest analysis.
Setting the scene: the therapeutic landscape
We opened with Piecing together the therapeutic landscape with analyst insights, to set the commercial and strategic context for the week.
Evaluate’s Daniel Chancellor kicked things off with analysis of historic and forecast growth across therapy areas, alongside data on where M&A attention is focused and how deal share has shifted in recent years. This framing set up a panel discussion with leaders from Novo Nordisk and Lilly Ventures.
Laura Lane of Lilly Ventures noted that successful dealmaking is increasingly about more than individual assets. Platforms, depth of science, and the people behind the innovation all matter when assessing long term fit with the pipeline.
Oncology: selectivity rises as loss of exclusivity looms
We then turned to oncology. Evaluate’s Ethan Smith shared fresh data on the oncology landscape, including analysis of companies facing loss of exclusivity on blockbuster therapies. As he put it, “some companies have some shopping to do in the oncology aisle of the supermarket,” with Evaluate data highlighting where modality trends and pipeline depth are likely to shape the next wave of deals.
Rare disease: regional dynamics still matter
Next up, Evaluate consultant Ben Folwell moderated a session on rare diseases, a timely discussion given we recently published our annual Orphan Drugs Report.
One of the most striking themes was the differing role of patient advocacy groups across regions. In the US, advocacy organizations are often central to advancing therapies through approval. In Europe, their influence on regulatory decision making remains far more limited, with implications for development, access, and launch strategy.
CNS: exciting new modalities driving interest in the space
Our final therapy area session focused on CNS and was moderated by Datamonitor analyst Wen Yu Huang.
Wen Yu kicked off with a big question: is the CNS graveyard finally behind us? While the panel stopped short of a definitive yes, there was agreement that recent successes, including approved Alzheimer’s therapies, are having a positive effect across the space. Greater use of biomarkers in clinical trials was also cited as a key driver of renewed confidence in both neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric development.
Beyond the sessions
There were many more discussions at the event, covering industry wide themes such as AI in pharma dealmaking and innovation emerging from China. These are areas we continue to track closely, but far more than can be covered in a single post. Though you can check out more highlights in Scrip here.
To dig deeper, visit our BIO-Europe content hub. You’ll find slides from all Evaluate moderated sessions, alongside analyst reports and therapy area insight to support dealmaking, portfolio strategy, and competitive intelligence.
We’ll be back when BIO-Europe moves to Cologne in November. We hope to see you there!
