TheChangingLandscapeforCellandGene
Therapy
MAY05,2021
BySmruthiSuryaprakash,AlexandraTeixeira,andMichaelChoy
EvenwiththemassivedisruptionofthehealthcaresectorcausedbyCOVID-19,the
paceofactivityincellandgenetherapieshasnotslowed—ifanything,ithas
acceleratedinthepastyear.Ouranalysisshowsthat,inthedecadeleadingupto
2020,sixmajorpharmacompaniesalonemademorethan50cellandgenetherapy
alliancesandlicensingdealsworthover$16billionandspentapproximately$38
billiononacquisitions.In2020,totalfinancinginregenerativemedicinedoubledto
almost$20billionfromjustunder$10billiontheyearbefore,accordingtothe
AllianceforRegenerativeMedicine.
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Cellandgenetherapieshavemadeimpressiveclinical
progressbutcontinuetofacebighurdles.
ThesenoveltherapieshaveclearlyseizedtheattentionofBigPharma.Butevenas
theagentsmakeimpressiveclinicalprogress—thealliancecounts1,220clinical
trialsunderwaylastyear—cellandgenetherapiescontinuetofacebigscientific,
technological,andbusiness-relatedhurdles.Ourrecentclientworkand
conversationswithleadersinthefieldindicatethatpharmacompanieslookingto
makeorexpandtheirbetsshouldconsiderfivefactorsastheymoveforward:
innovationsfromCOVID-19,maturingstandardsandprocesses,thechallengesof
smalltreatmentmarkets,consolidationanddiversificationintheindustry,and
pricingandregulatorypressure.
INNOVATIONSFROMCOVID-19
Ontheplusside,whilethepandemicdisruptedpharmaRD,itacceleratedtrends
inthreekeyareas:clinicaltrials,cold-chaincapabilities,andmanufacturing
capacity.Inclinicaltrials,COVID-19spedtheadoptionofdigitallyenabled
proces