Looking back at some of the biggest healthcare stories of 2023. Credit: Shutterstock/laksena

As the year comes to a close, we at Pharmaceutical Technology take stock at some of the biggest headlines of the year.

One of the most popular stories on the site was a forward-looking feature that outlined the biggest expected catalysts involving CRISPR gene therapies and posited 2023 as the milestone year for this approach. The interest in this cutting edge technology was unsurprising given the significant results seen in sickle cell anemia the previous year. The results culminated in regulatory approvals earlier this month for Vertex and CRISPR, and bluebird bio.

This year also harkened the era of blockbuster obesity therapies with several drugs earning millions in revenues, and the trend is only expected to rise in the year to come. Two of Pharmaceutical Technology’s most-read stories reflected that. While one news story outlined Novo Nordisk’s rising sales for its drug Ozempic (semaglutide), another article covered the promising results seen with Eli Lilly’s obesity drug retatrutide in the summer.

While Covid-19 was not often in the headlines, the FDA’s revocation of the emergency use authorisations (EUAs) of Covid-19 vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, was another top-read story. This year, the field saw success with mRNA vaccines in other conditions beyond infectious diseases, with a clinical readout of BioNTech’s RNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer sparking significant interest amongst readers. Elsewhere, the potential for HIV vaccines, while thwarted by some failures this year, continued to stay alive with new approaches.

In the drug development sphere, ups and downs in the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) space drove headlines. Following news of yet another company shuttering its NASH program in June, experts said the NASH field is now betting on new approaches to cross the finish line.

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Other stories on our most-read list include feature articles on illegal online pharmacies, patent wars between pharma bigwigs concerning Covid-19 research and sweeping changes in European Pharmaceutical law.

1) CRISPR gene therapies: Is 2023 a milestone year in the making?

2) BioNTech’s RNA vaccine sparks potential in pancreatic cancer

3) Eli Lilly’s retatrutide sets new record for weight loss in obesity space

4) Novo Nordisk blockbuster Ozempic boasts 23% sales surge in 2023

5) FDA revokes EUAs of Pfizer/BioNTech’s and Moderna’s original Covid-19 vaccines

6) BioNTech’s RNA vaccine sparks potential in pancreatic cancer

7) Moderna mRNA patent revoked by EPO after Pfizer suit

8) Generative AI has the potential to revolutionise drug discovery

9) NASH drugs race to cross the finish line

10) Sweeping changes in leaked EU pharma law draft reignite profit vs access conflict

11) Illegal online pharmacies gain traction as regulators lag behind