Linden Thomson, Lead Fund Manager at AXA Investment Managers
The pace of innovation in the biotech industry operated at speed during the pandemic, showing that innovations in the sector aren't decades into the future, they're a reality now.
Emerging technologies are essential and without them, the sector cannot develop new treatments to address the long list of diseases impacting society. But equally, innovation is complex, and a lack of knowledge can act as a barrier to investors understanding the opportunities in the sector.
Linden Thomson, Lead Fund Manager at AXA Investment Managers, explores some emerging technologies that have the potential to reshape healthcare. Genome sequencing is becoming cheaper and more accessible, opening the door to the development of treatments that focus on the underlying genetics of cancer. The next step is to detect potential cancer in patients in remission and eventually detect cancer in healthy people.
Another area ripe for growth is neurodegeneration, an area where development still lags other diseases, despite the rise of neurological disorders. Thomson says that multiple US firms are due to report phase-three data for amyloid beta targeting agents used to combat Alzheimer's disease, which could act as a catalyst for the sector.
Additionally, innovation in the biotech sector is in the technology underpinning drug development. The mRNA technology that was used to develop the Covid-19 vaccine could be used in the development of other vaccines as well as other areas, including cancer.
Thomson says that while gene therapy so far has focused on rarer diseases, the next step is probably in the larger diseases like haemophilia. When asked about the potential of the sector, she says: "The sky is the limit."
For more on opportunities in biotech, emerging technologies, plus other trends in the sector, read AXA IM's latest exclusive Spotlight guide by completing the form below.
