Opportunities and Challenges

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in life sciences in the next decade?

Which geographical area do you think will see the fastest growth
in the life sciences industry in the next 10 years?

Unsurprisingly, China is the clear leader amongst respondents, with 44% predicting it will be the geographical area that will see the fastest growth in the life sciences industry in the next 10 years. More established European (13%) and North American (11%) industries trail behind in expected growth.

Which therapeutic area do you think will see the fastest growth in the next 10 years?

Respondents clearly see gene therapies as the most exciting therapeutic area, with 29% predicting it will see the fastest growth in the next 10 years. There is an interesting split between regions, with just 9% of European respondents choosing cell therapies versus 19% of North Americans.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing life sciences in the next 10 years?

The finance of drugs is seen as the biggest challenge facing the industry, with a combined 46% of respondents choosing cost of drug development (25%) or drug pricing/ reimbursement (21%). This is perhaps unsurprisingly most pronounced in North America, where the combined total goes up to 58%.

In which of the following therapeutic areas do you think treatment
will most improve in the next 10 years?

Oncology is the area that respondents are most excited about by far, with half predicting it will be the area in which treatment will most improve in the coming decade. With huge investment and numerous promising therapeutics being developed and approved, this will surprise few.

Where do you think the biggest advances in oncology will come in the next 10 years?

Within the treatment of oncology, respondents are fairly equally excited about gene therapies (27%), immunotherapies (25%) and cell therapies (21%) when asked about the biggest advances in the next decade.