Thessalus Capital details the following five predictions for the healthcare industry, according to Forbes.
1. Mergers and acquisitions. Consolidation is erupting across all facets of healthcare, including the pharmaceutical sector. Major companies, such as Pfizer, will sweep up smaller companies and will likely rebrand their products and generate major profits.
2. More specialty disease treatments. Specialty disease treatments present an opportunity for companies looking to gain a foothold in the space, as there is less competition as well as fewer existing treatments for these patients. However, patients may suffer the consequences as less competitions means companies can charge more for orphan drugs.
3. Technological innovation. Investors are looking into gene editing technologies as well as blockchain technology.
4. Generics. More generics will flood the market as patents expire. The FDA will likely develop more policies supporting generics, which ideally will drive down prices for consumers.
5. Growing demand in Asian markets. As the economies in Asia grow, so will the demand for pharmaceutical and medical device products. The government is pushing forward 'Healthy China 2020' plan, which aims to get private payers involved in insuring the population.