Capital Recovery and Inclusive Research Could Define Biopharma's Next Growth Phase, Says Sara Jane Demy

As part of BioPharm International's continuing coverage from the BIO International Convention 2026, Sara Jane Demy, CEO of Demy-Colton, reflects on the biopharma financing environment, the return of investment activity, and why inclusive scientific leadership remains essential to advancing research.

How can renewed investment and more inclusive research strengthen biopharma's future?

Throughout the BIO International Convention 2026, industry leaders repeatedly returned to two recurring themes, rebuilding momentum across the biopharmaceutical sector and ensuring innovation benefits increasingly diverse patient populations. Those topics were central to BioPharm International's conversation with Sara Jane Demy, CEO of Demy-Colton.

During the interview, Demy reflected on the industry's financing environment, noting that previous periods of market uncertainty often followed relatively predictable recovery cycles. While the recent slowdown has been more prolonged, she said several encouraging developments suggest capital is beginning to return to the sector.

Renewed NIH funding, increasing merger and acquisition activity, and the gradual return of initial public offerings are all helping restore investment that can support additional research and development.

"Every time a company makes a move like that, or there is an acquisition, it frees up capital, puts more capital back into the space, and enables more research and development to be done," Demy said.

The discussion echoed many of the conversations held throughout BIO 2026, where executives described a cautious but growing optimism surrounding financing, strategic partnerships, and the next generation of therapeutic innovation.

Demy also emphasized that scientific progress depends on ensuring the people shaping those conversations reflect the patients the industry serves. Rather than treating diversity as a special initiative, she said organizations should simply make inclusive representation standard practice across conference programming and scientific discussions.

"We just did it," Demy said. "If you make a big deal of it, it means it's something extraordinary that should not be accepted. Everybody who has something to contribute should be on our stage."

She added that expanding representation extends beyond conference panels and has important implications for biomedical research. Historically, women and many other patient populations were underrepresented in clinical trials, limiting researchers' understanding of important biological differences that influence disease presentation and treatment response.

Using cardiovascular disease as one example, Demy noted that women often experience symptoms differently than men, underscoring why broader representation is essential for developing therapies that serve all patients more effectively.

The conversation aligns with BioPharm International's broader BIO 2026 coverage, which highlighted not only advances in areas such as cell and gene therapy, immunotherapy, and artificial intelligence, but also the industry-wide focus on creating a more sustainable innovation environment. As financing activity gradually rebounds, Demy said pairing renewed investment with more representative scientific leadership will be critical to translating future discoveries into better patient care.