In a poll we ran Friday, an overwhelming 70% of readers who voted said they expect to see a pharma mega-merger in 2023. And while these results only represent a small slice of views from life sciences leaders, they’re on par with overall industry sentiment that 2023 could be the year M&A once again picks up. 

With more dealmaking afoot, it might also be the year of increased antitrust enforcement from the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commissions, and the healthcare industry could be in the crosshairs, according to Robert A. Wells, a healthcare compliance attorney with Baker Donelson.  

“The Department of Justice and FTC are in the process of developing new guidelines related to evaluating mergers and acquisitions, and I expect when they finalize those guidelines, they’ll want to test them,” he said, noting that situations with a “big fish swallowing (a) little fish to sort of eliminate competition,” could be at the greatest risk of investigation. 

Whether these concerns impact where and how pharma companies open their wallets is yet to be seen. But as expectations mount for a more vibrant dealmaking year, our lead story examines the disease areas and technologies that could draw the most attention. 

Thanks for reading.