NOVARTIS

The precision medicine market is projected to grow from $75.2 billion in 2023 to $168.3 billion by 2032, driven by advancements in genomics, rising chronic disease prevalence, and personalized healthcare. Key trends include AI integration and companion diagnostics. Challenges like high costs and complex regulations offer opportunities for innovation. North America leads in market share, with Europe and Asia-Pacific also showing significant growth.

David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper won the 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry for computational protein design and AlphaFold development. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals seeks FDA approval for vutrisiran in another form of transthyretin amyloidosis. Johnson & Johnson terminated TAR-200 trial in bladder cancer. Gemma Biotherapeutics partners with Brazil's Fiocruz for rare disease gene therapies. AstraZeneca acquires a preclinical cholesterol-lowering drug from CPSC Pharmaceutical Group. Astellas invests in AviadoBio's experimental gene therapy for frontotemporal dementia.

R&D World Index (RDWI) closed at 4,005.40, up 0.62%. Eight members gained, led by Alibaba (+6.71%), while 17 lost value, with Stellantis NV (-17.06%). Highlights include ULA's second Vulcan Centaur rocket launch, Microsoft's $4.75B investment in Italy's cloud and AI, Eli Lilly's $4.5B drug center, and India-US R&D collaboration talks.

The global dermatology drugs market is projected to reach $50.42 billion by 2032 from $19.71 billion in 2023, driven by innovations in AI, genomics, and personalized medicine. Key players like Novartis, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson lead with advanced treatments, while Europe's high prevalence of skin conditions and robust healthcare infrastructure support market growth.

Purespring Therapeutics secures £80m ($105m) to advance its AAV gene therapy PS-002 for IgA nephropathy (IgAN) into Phase I/II trials. The therapy targets podocytes, crucial for kidney function, aiming to address inflammation and prevent end-stage renal disease. The funding round was led by Sofinnova Partners and includes Gilde Healthcare, Forbion, British Patient Capital, and Syncona. Purespring's platform, FunSel, selects effective treatments from a library of AAV vectors, independent of specific genes or mechanisms.

Scholar Rock's experimental drug apitegromab, designed to block myostatin activation, showed significant muscle function improvement in SMA patients in a Phase 3 study, leading to a $300 million stock offering. The company plans FDA and EMA submissions for 2025 commercial launch, and is exploring apitegromab's use in preserving muscle mass during weight loss treatment.

Milan's IP court shake-up impacts proceedings; Italian Supreme Court's Bolar exemption interpretation affects pharma litigation. Trevisan & Cuonzo and Bird & Bird lead in patent disputes, with firms like Hogan Lovells and Simmons & Simmons also prominent. Italian IP boutiques maintain strong presence, often combining academic work with litigation.

Calluna Pharma appoints Mark Gaffney as CEO; Gaffney brings 20+ years of experience in biotech, previously CEO of Oxular Limited and COO at Vedere Bio (acquired by Novartis). Gaffney will lead Calluna's strategy as CAL101 completes Phase 1 this year.

The Companion Diagnostics Market was valued at USD 7.66 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 21.15 Billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 11.9% due to increased demand for personalized medicine, particularly in oncology. Key players include Abbott, Guardant Health, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. North America dominates the market, with Europe experiencing rapid growth. Recent developments include Illumina's next-generation sequencing test and Roche's blood-based diagnostic.

Pharma incumbents partner with AI-driven startups to enhance drug discovery, leveraging AI models for protein structure and molecule binding. AI aids in predicting patient responses, designing inclusion criteria, optimizing doses, and supplementing placebo groups with simulations. A recent analysis of AI in FDA drug submissions highlights these applications, with the FDA establishing an AI Council to clarify regulatory approaches.