The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference returned to San Francisco this year, bringing significant deals and strategic shifts that signal where healthcare is headed. While this year’s weather outside was dry and sunny, a substantial change from the prior two years' rainy conferences, the conditions inside differed, with several companies making waves.
Big oncology-focused deals dominate Deal-making dominated the headlines, as GSK set the tone early with a significant $1.15 billion buyout deal with biotech firm IDRx, focusing on GI cancer treatments. Eli Lilly confirmed industry rumors by announcing its acquisition of cancer-focused Scorpion Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $2.5 billion.
AbbVie announced their partnering with China's Simcere Zaiming, offering up to $1.05 billion in milestone payments for a promising phase 1-stage tri-specific antibody targeting multiple myeloma.
AI’s presence looms large over the conference While artificial intelligence dominated discussions, a clear divide emerged between tech companies and traditional pharma in the race for AI talent. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang exemplified tech's growing healthcare presence with an unconventional talk-show-style panel featuring industry leaders. Meanwhile, Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna and Isomorphic's Demis Hassabis debated whether data availability remains AI's primary bottleneck in healthcare applications.
Kimberly Powell, Vice President of Healthcare at NVIDIA, highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing critical challenges in healthcare, such as labor shortages and productivity inefficiencies, during the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.
This talent gap points to a larger issue in pharma's AI ambitions. Despite pharmaceutical executives' frequent claims about being "all in on AI" and positioning themselves as tech companies, they're falling behind in recruiting top AI/ML talent. The industry's approach to AI as a supplementary tool rather than a core focus is leading to less competitive offers in both pay and culture, reminiscent of how traditional tech giants like IBM lost ground to Google in attracting engineering talent during the mid-2000s. As startups continue to pitch ambitious visions and attract thousands of applications, big pharma's passive approach to AI talent recruitment may hinder their technological transformation goals.
Medable and Google showcase why AI matters in clinical trials In November, Medable introduced Medable Studio + AI, enabling rapid deployment of complex electronic Clinical Outcome Assessments (eCOA). At JPM, Medable CEO Michelle Longmire sat down with Google’s Shweta Maniar, Global Director, Healthcare & Life Sciences, to talk about how AI has helped solve clients’ issues around technology deployment in clinical trials.
Clinical trials face numerous challenges, including inefficiencies in study setup, lack of transparency, and customization constraints. Medable Studio + AI directly addresses these issues, offering:
Better visibility into the assessment-building process. Faster adaptation to protocol changes. Enhanced patient experiences through tailored solutions. Daniel O’Connor, founder of Trial Site News, remarked that Medable’s approach exemplifies humility and customer-centricity. “Their ability to listen, adapt, and innovate positions them as a transformative force in the clinical trial ecosystem.”
Medable Studio introduces groundbreaking capabilities for researchers to gain control over the eCOA process. By eliminating traditional roadblocks, the platform reduces the risk of errors while optimizing time and cost.
Key functionalities include:
Visual eCOA Builder : A point-and-click interface for creating ePROs, ClinROs, and site workflows in minutes.Translation Workbench : Live previews and real-time editing streamline localization and validation processes.Point-n-Click Study Operational Architecture (SOA) Builder : Intelligent workflows simplify building and managing study protocols.These tools ensure that protocol changes, often a significant pain point, can be addressed with minimal disruption. The flexibility to adapt workflows, assessments, and schedules empowers researchers to maintain quality while accelerating timelines.
Medable CEO Michelle Longmire sits down with Google’s Shweta Maniar, Global Director, Healthcare & Life Sciences
Large pharma continues making moves Bayer made history by announcing the first registrational phase 3 trial for an allogeneic cell therapy in Parkinson's disease through its BlueRock division.
Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan revealed the company's strategic shift toward earlier-stage deals, having completed 30 deals in the past two years. In a significant restructuring move, Novartis has streamlined its clinical-stage pipeline by 40%, from 155 to 94 projects.
Biogen is Entering year three of CEO Chris Viehbacher's leadership, Biogen continues its transformation with completed cost reductions and strategic acquisitions. The company remains focused on long-term growth through 2028 and beyond.
