1. Precision medicine reaches everyday clinical practice

Personalised treatment has long been a promise, and is now becoming reality. In Sweden, Genomic Medicine Sweden has received SEK 80 million in government funding. The national initiative, which aims to strengthen healthcare, research and industry collaboration in precision medicine, will use part of the funding to roll out a national pharmacogenetic gene panel across all university hospitals, helping ensure more patients receive the right medicine and the right dose from the start. At the same time, blood tests analysing tumour DNA are expanding across several countries to include solid tumours. A 2024 review identified over 57 Phase II/III studies in the field.

2. Manufacturing becomes a strategic issue in pharmaceutical development

Pharmaceutical manufacturing has gone from being a background function to a top strategic priority. In the US, tariffs of up to 100% have driven major investments in domestic production. Eli Lilly, for example, is investing USD 27 billion and Johnson & Johnson USD 55 billion. In the EU, the Critical Medicines Alliance has highlighted that 80% of imported pharmaceutical raw materials come from just five countries. New legislation aimed at strengthening European manufacturing capacity is expected in 2026.

3. AI in healthcare is being implemented faster than expected

Healthcare has a reputation for being slow to adopt new technology, but the numbers tell a different story. In the US, over 40% of all doctors log in daily to OpenEvidence, also known as “ChatGPT for doctors”. Swedish company Tandem Health has gained access to over 200,000 staff within the British healthcare system through a partnership with UK-based Accurx, to roll out its AI-based documentation assistant. In Sweden, AI company Leapscribe was acquired by health record provider Cambio in 2025, aiming to embed AI documentation directly into the COSMIC health record system. When established system providers start integrating AI, it is a sign that the technology is becoming standard.

4. Strategic acquisitions in life science pick up again

After several cautious years, 2025 marked a turning point. Global M&A transactions in life science reached USD 240 billion, an increase of 81%. There is significant potential for this trend to continue, as several major pharmaceutical companies face substantial revenue losses when patent protections expire. According to Deloitte, nearly half of biopharma executives see M&A as a top priority for 2026.

5. Sweden as a life science nation

Swedish pharmaceutical exports amounted to SEK 151 billion in 2024, corresponding to 7% of the country’s total exports, and have more than doubled over ten years. Combined with initiatives such as Genomic Medicine Sweden and a growing start-up scene in biotech, medtech and healthtech, Sweden is well positioned to continue delivering innovative companies with international competitiveness.