More than 100 biopharma executives and experts told Scrip their predictions for therapeutic area advances in the coming year. The recent commercial success of GLP-1s in diabetes and obesity and their potential in further disease areas fuelled excitement around the metabolic space. Expectations were also positive in neurology following the launch of Leqembi for Alzheimer’s disease in 2023, while the multiple opportunities to improve cancer treatment kept oncology top of the pile overall.

Private Company Edition: Alexis Borisy and his Curie.Bio co-founders will invest $5m-$7m to help companies get to lead optimization within 12-18 months. Also, Feng Zhang-founded Aera launched with $193m, Hexagon Bio raised a $77.3m series B round and Halda emerged with $76m.

Stryker launched the Mako robotic arm-assisted total knee arthroplasty system at last week's AAOS annual meeting, making the company the first to offer a surgical robotic technology that covers the total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements. Critics, however, say the clinical outcomes do not necessarily justify the costs. Meanwhile, Stryker's orthopedic rivals, Zimmer Biomet and Smith & Nephew, also sought to highlight their own robotic offerings.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Medical Device Deals Update column is a survey of recent medtech M&A, alliance, and financing activity. This month’s column covers deals announced October-November 2014.