Analysts are predicting a surge of M&A activity in the biotech space, with large pharma firms looking to pad their pipelines with new acquisitions and US tax reform freeing up cash flow. We look at how the biotech M&A landscape is shaping up over the course of 2018.

We also find out why a potential capacity crunch may be on the way for the burgeoning cell and gene therapy market, examine new research that has found that some non-antibiotic drugs affect the growth of gut bacteria, and track the history of drug development for mumps following a recent resurgence of the disease in the US.

Finally, we profile the Swiss pharmaceutical industry, consider whether the UK’s drug approval process is in need of an overhaul, find out how digital technology could unlock billions in savings for pharma companies, and take a closer look at CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing tool that can be used to quickly identify drug targets.

Katie Woodward, editor