Biopharma financings in 2022 are now tracking 12% higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019, but they still pale in comparison with each of the last two years, both of which were standout years by every measure.
While weekly global and U.S. confirmed cases of COVID-19 are below each of the last two years, infectious disease experts remain on guard. There are still about 1,500 people dying around the world each day, including 350 in the U.S., and the SARS-CoV-2 virus may continue to find ways to outmaneuver current treatments and vaccines.
Despite a busy September, U.S. FDA approvals and global regulatory news fell in October to the lowest point this year. So far in 2022, the FDA has approved 127 drugs and biologics, including supplemental filings. This is 25% less than each of the last two years, which had 170 approvals in 2021 and 169 approvals in 2020 through the end of October. The last time approvals were lower than this year was 2016 when there were 121.