Addressing health care inequities, providing a nurturing environment for employees and learning from the pandemic were among the aims expressed by executives surveyed by Scrip.

Digital and telehealth solutions took off during COVID-19 and industry observers expect them to advance still further in the coming year. Coupling enhanced patient experience with rich opportunities to use associated data to enhance product development and health care practice, benefits should accrue to industry, health care practitioners, health systems and patients alike.

The COVID-19 pandemic drove huge shifts in clinical trial practice and the transformation is expected to continue even after the global health emergency abates. Industry leaders sharing their predictions around clinical development homed in on decentralized trials, digitization and data tools as key topics for 2022.

Evolving challenges will keep the COVID-19 pipeline active, while oncology, immunology and CNS are areas also expected to see much progress in 2022. Industry executives look forward to the year in therapeutic R&D.

Many industry leaders expect broad progress in the field of RNA technologies following the rapid and successful roll-out of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 last year. Genetic medicines of various types, emerging platforms for tackling previously “undruggable” targets and the microbiome were among other areas singled out as areas to watch in 2022.

Following two record-breaking years for biotech fundraising, stock valuations are heading downwards. Biopharma executives and industry experts surveyed by Scrip anticipate big pharma executing more deals and acquisitions in 2022.