Each January, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference sets the tone for the life sciences industry, serving as the year’s most influential gathering of biotech, pharma, investors, and dealmakers.
This year was no different.
Thus, we checked in with our conference attendees, booth visitors, and more to see what they thought were this year’s trend-setting takeaways.
A year poised for promise and growth
Looking broadly across the clear message: biopharma is entering 2026 with stronger fundamentals, deeper pipelines, and a renewed focus on execution.
Across large pharma, mid-size pharma, and biotech presentations, companies emphasized diversified growth engines, near-term regulatory catalysts, and commercial momentum from recent launches rather than distant, single-asset bets. Rare diseases, neuroscience, immunology, oncology, and cardiometabolic conditions emerged as consistent areas of investment, with many companies highlighting late-stage programs capable of delivering multi-billion-dollar opportunities.
Executives also underscored capital discipline and operational efficiency as defining features of the current cycle. Many firms described how restructuring efforts, portfolio prioritization, and lifecycle management have positioned them to absorb upcoming patent expirations while continuing to invest aggressively in innovation.
AI-enabled drug discovery, selective M&A, and partnerships were repeatedly cited as tools to accelerate pipelines without overextending balance sheets. Taken together, the tone from day one of JPM 2026 suggested an industry shifting from recovery to confidence—one focused less on rebuilding and more on delivering sustained growth and measurable patient impact in the years ahead.
The breakout year of rare disease biotech continues into 2026
Rare disease biotech companies were being highlighted as a standout sector after what many are calling a breakout year in 2025. This was driven by robust clinical pipelines, rising revenues, and growing maturity that is repositioning these firms as emerging global biopharma players rather than niche startups.
Investors are still showing renewed enthusiasm for rare disease assets, reflecting confidence in their long-term value, strong data readouts, and potential market opportunities, while broader industry trends such as AI-enabled drug discovery, strategic partnerships, and targeted M&A activity continue to support momentum into 2026.
Medable debuts its Agentic AI-powered “TMF Agent”
Medable has launched a new AI-driven “TMF Agent” designed to automate the labor-intensive Trial Master File (TMF) processes that are central to clinical research document management. Built on Medable’s Agent Studio platform, the tool uses artificial intelligence to ingest, classify, extract metadata from, and organize trial documents. This dramatically reduces the manual work that still accounts for the vast majority of TMF tasks and consumes a large share of clinical operations time.
The system integrates with major eTMF platforms like Veeva Vault, Wingspan, and OpenText, and includes human-in-the-loop checkpoints for quality control and regulatory compliance. By automating end-to-end workflows, the TMF Agent aims to improve data quality and consistency, free up clinical teams for higher-value work, and ease regulatory readiness.
Medable’s CEO Dr. Michelle Longmire presented the innovation at the 44th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, where the company also showcased its broader AI agent portfolio.
Medable CEO Michelle Longmire interviewed on AI efficiencies and use cases
In a new interview conducted at JPM2026, Medable CEO Dr. Michelle Longmire M.D. explains how agentic AI removes the tactical bottlenecks in trials, redirects resources to true unmet needs, and unlocks precision medicine at scale.
Read it here.
Obesity competition intensifies as Amgen advances MariTide
Metabolic disease remained a major theme at JPM, with Amgen spotlighting progress on its obesity candidate MariTide. The company emphasized the drug’s potential role in weight-loss maintenance, positioning it as a differentiator in an increasingly crowded and competitive obesity market. Global phase 3 studies are underway, highlighting how companies are now racing not just for initial weight loss, but for long-term durability and patient outcomes.
Novartis signals continued appetite for novel oncology modalities with PepLib deal
Novartis drew attention early in the day by announcing a $50 million upfront licensing agreement with China-based PepLib for a peptide-based radioligand therapy. The deal grants Novartis global rights and underscores Big Pharma’s continued interest in emerging modalities, particularly radioligand therapies, as well as its willingness to source innovation internationally despite a cautious dealmaking environment.
AstraZeneca leans into AI and pipeline expansion
AstraZeneca used its JPM platform to highlight the rapid evolution of its late-stage pipeline, which now includes 37 molecules with active label expansion programs—up sharply from just a handful four years ago. Leadership emphasized increasing value per asset and a strong focus on oncology, including antibody-drug conjugates. The company also announced the acquisition of Modella AI, signaling its commitment to embedding artificial intelligence and machine learning deeper into drug discovery and development workflows.
