Since the 2016 survey, the number of projects has increased from 369 to 420. There has also been a growth in the number of companies, especially with projects in the clinic.
– More companies have reached phase III or are moving towards approval of new products. “It is encouraging that the number of employees in companies has increased, especially in the smallest companies,” says Sara Gunnerås, editor of the report.
Oncology and neurology are the dominant therapeutic areas, followed by endocrinology and infection. Almost a third, 128 projects, are being developed in the field of cancer. A full 26% of projects target a rare disease.
And companies in the sector are expanding. 80% state that they intend to increase their workforce with either hires or consultants in 2020-2021. However, it is important to note that the survey responses were received before the coronavirus crisis hit. While the industry’s pipeline has been growing stronger for several years, the pandemic has quickly affected the ability to refinance what are essentially commercially strong projects. SwedenBIO therefore calls for a strong investment promotion to ensure that the expansion force in Swedish life science does not go to waste.
– As enthusiastic as I am about the strength of our domestic pipeline, I am equally concerned about the difficulties in raising capital. It is important that we do not neglect this now, but make sure to work strategically to attract investments and research collaborations, says Helena Strigård, CEO of SwedenBIO.
What SwedenBIO believes is at stake is both the knowledge-intensive jobs that this industry creates and its importance for our societal preparedness. That is, ultimately, the ability to save patients’ lives.
– If one thing has become painfully clear during the corona crisis, it is the importance of having the development and production of medicines and diagnostics within Sweden’s borders so that we can respond to the unpredictability of the health challenges we face. We cannot rely 100% on the outside world in this.
While the importance of a domestic pharmaceutical pipeline is highlighted in the public debate, SwedenBIO’s report shows how important international contacts and capital are for companies to grow. All companies responded that they have some form of international cooperation, for example by recruiting foreign experts to their boards and operations.
– Pipeline companies have their sights set on a global market from day one. The fact that as a group they manage to establish international contacts so widely is a sign of strength. For example, half have international investors,” says Sara Gunnerås.
Summary:
- According to the survey, there are 148 companies headquartered in Sweden developing medicines, with half of these projects having reached the clinical trial phase.
- In total, the companies have 420 projects, of which 148 are in the clinic (46 in phase I, 80 in phase II and 24 in phase III).
- 59% have an academic or health care background.
- 50% have attracted international capital and 100% of respondents have international collaborations of various kinds.
For further information, please contact Maja Neiman Science Relations Manager on 073 091 20 67 or at maja.neiman@swedenbio.se.
The industry organization SwedenBIO’s more than 300 member companies have a total of 20,000 employees who contribute in various ways to the development of new treatments to prevent and alleviate ill health. Members include companies that are active in drug development, biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics or are experts in areas such as business development, financing, intellectual property and law.
The report “The Swedish Drug Discovery and Development Pipeline 2020” is produced by SwedenBIO, in collaboration with Business Sweden, Business Region Göteborg, Invest in Skåne, Invest Stockholm and Vinnova.
Here is the report:
The Swedish Drug Discovery and Development Pipeline 2020 (SwedenBIO)
Project list: The Swedish Drug Discovery and Development Report 2020
