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The need to find ways to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant global vaccine demand that is driving the pharmaceutical R&D industry towards a forecast of $813 billion by 2026. This is almost double the figures for 2020 and 2021 and represents a spike that even the most positive of outlooks could not have predicted. It has created a whole new swathe of R&D jobs in pharma and opportunities for those looking to take bold steps in this career. There is no doubt that one of the driving forces behind the substantial value increase is the global vaccine demand but there has also been a spike in pharmaceutical R&D spending.

Despite the challenges that every organization has faced due to the pandemic, biomedical engineering is an industry that is experiencing a significant boom. This sector brings together medical and engineering potential, creating devices and tech-driven solutions that are often life-changing for those they benefit. Roles such as biomedical materials engineer - which requires a thorough understanding of materials science and material modeling - and algorithm designer (focused on integrating data from various platforms, such as microfluidic devices) are in increasing demand.

Technology is vital to optimizing the process of clinical operations trials in the near future - and this has been brought one step closer by the news that Pfizer and Amazon Web Services are now working together to make this happen. The collaboration is designed to create innovative, cloud-based solutions that will improve how medicines are designed and delivered for clinical trials, as well as how they are distributed for testing in clinical trials.

Investment in gene therapy is going to be positive in 2022, according to industry insiders. With estimates revealing that one family a day is now being treated with gene therapy there is clear motivation among investors to help extend the reach of gene therapy in the coming 12 months. There is so much potential in gene therapy - for example, AAV-mediated gene therapies open up the option for a one-off administration that could tackle the underlying disease and make permanent changes to the way that patients receive critical medicine.

Severe spinal cord injuries can be some of the hardest to treat and offer the most difficult path to recovery. Now, the discovery of 'dancing molecules' may provide hope to those who have suffered a devastating spinal cord injury, as they may be able to reverse paralysis and repair tissues. In a new study, paralyzed mice were injected with just one dose of a new therapy - and a month later regained the ability to walk. The treatment sends bioactive signals to trigger cells to repair and regenerate.

Pediatric patients in need of a valve replacement have historically had few options. There are two solutions that have traditionally been put forward - a purely mechanical valve, which comes with an increased risk of blood clots, and a valve that has been made from animal tissues (a bioprosthetic valve). The major issue that most children have faced with both of these options is outgrowing them.

Finding new ways to treat inherited diseases has been a key priority for the biomedical sector. Now, Chroma Medicine, which is a new start-up with an impressive $125 million in funding plans to use gene editing in order to develop treatments that are designed to alter the epigenome.

Clinical trial management has faced many obstacles in recent times, not least thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, technology has the potential to help transform this vital field of life sciences and to create opportunities to do more with the insights and research available. AI-powered support automation - chatbots - for example, can provide a lot of key support for clinical study, especially when it comes to organizing the more mundane parts of the process.

Heart health is something that has been a focus for the medical industry for decades. However, now there is increasing research indicating that the long-held views on the role that cholesterol has to play in heart health might actually be wide of the mark. Landmark early studies on cholesterol laid the foundations for dietary guidelines that suggest saturated fat should make up only around 10% of total energy intake today. However, since those early studies, it has been established that it's not the cholesterol itself that causes the issues but the lipoproteins that carry it to and from cells - and that the narrow focus on low cholesterol as a route to a healthy heart might have been misguided.

Medical affairs is an area of life sciences that continues to evolve, particularly given the shifting regulatory landscape that affects the way that the real-world applications of drugs can be communicated. A 2020 report by McKinsey & Company suggested that this is such a vital area that the relevance of medical affairs be accelerated to improve patient access to, and ensure optimal engagement with, treatment. The report identified a number of key ways in which this could be achieved, including integrating more patient-centric healthcare by creating partnerships with a wider range of healthcare stakeholders and also focusing on targeted recruitment.