With research and development costs rising and discovery pipelines struggling, life sciences organizations are always looking for opportunities to increase revenue, while reducing overall costs, improving operational efficiencies and minimizing risks.

The recent conference, INTERPHEX Japan 2010, Asia’s largest pharmaceutical event, at Japan’s biggest exhibition center, Tokyo Big Sight, therefore provided an excellent opportunity for life sciences professionals to network for three days to source products, services and capabilities that drive scientific and process innovation for the life sciences industry. In its 23rd year, and organised by Reed Exhibitions, INTERPHEX Japan proved a huge success, attracting a record number of 1,564 exhibitors and 66,750 industry professionals from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, cosmetics R&D and manufacturing industries.

With global M&A deal activity slipping down to 22% from 2008 levels (according to Dealogic) and some suggesting that we may have seen the bottom of the M&A market in 2009, I think it's safe to say that we’ll all be glad to say goodbye to 2009. And what better way to say farewell and to round the year off than with our Q4 Deal Flow Indicator results.