1. The FDA approved 45 new drugs in 2015, up from 41 in 2014. The number of approvals in Europe also increased last year. IMS Health has forecast 225 new drug approvals between 2016 and 2020. (Reuters)
2. Some of those new drugs are very costly. Eight new treatments coming to market in 2016 are expected to generate $16.6 billion in sales within four years. (Washington Examiner)
3. Baxalta signed a deal with Symphogen to develop immuno-oncology drugs. Symphogen receives at $175 million upfront payment, as well as up to $1.6 billion in potential milestones, to provide exclusive rights to six of its drugs. (Reuters)
4. There have been more than 2,000 deals in the global pharma and biotechnology sectors over the past two years as drugmakers turned to M&A to shore up their pipelines. The pace of activity isn’t sustainable but more deals are still expected in 2016. (WSJ)
5. MM&M announced its list of the Top 40 Transformers, the executives, investors, entrepreneurs, designers and thinkers who are changing healthcare through technology.
