Patent expiry and increasing generic competition is expected to make a handful of mega deals happen

The challenges posed by expiring patents, the global economic slowdown, and price premium pressures are forcing the pharmaceutical and biotech industry to restructure and streamline strategies to boost profitability.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) have become the preferred approach to counter low margins as they give access to new markets while creating more revenue pools and, to some extent, compensating for depletion in the research and development pipeline.

A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s Merger and Acquisition (M&A) Trends in the Global Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry reveals that oncology, one of the largest and fastest-growing therapeutic domains in terms of drug development, is expected to remain the hot pick for buyers looking to strengthen their portfolio. North America will continue to be the most active region in terms of both number and value of deals.