REPORT

Biopharma deals in review: H1 2022

After a correction, opportunities remain

The frenzied financing and dealmaking that characterized the biotech sector in 2020 and 2021 wound down markedly in the first half of 2022, but major players remained in the hunt for acquisitions and partnerships to replenish depleted pipelines.

Drawing on BioWorld™ and Cortellis Deals Intelligence™ and predictive analytics, this report offers a comprehensive view of dealmaking activity, M&As, public/private financings, IPOs and follow-on offerings for biotechs in H1 2022, with expert analysis of the macro trends driving the numbers.

Key findings include:

  • Large pharmas remain in the hunt for early-stage assets, particularly around new and emerging treatment modalities and platform technologies such as AI and machine learning or cell and gene therapies
  • The volume of M&As plummeted, but the value has not, thanks to a handful of multi-billion-dollar deals
  • By value, biopharma dealmaking (including licensings, collaborations and joint ventures) reached new heights, with 834 deals worth $94 billion being inked in the first half
  • For biotechs, accessing capital is more difficult, but not impossible, with funds flush with cash and private financing remaining robust in the first half’s
  • Beyond the Bay Area and Massachusetts, secondary biotech clusters are growing in importance, particularly in the United Kingdom, Mainland China and San Diego.