The German major is kicking off Phase II trials for a cell therapy and a gene therapy that could be gamechangers for the progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 10 million people worldwide.

There is a lot of structural change going on at the German major but it is learning from the way its wholly owned subsidiaries such as AskBio and BlueRock are run.

Advances in synthetic biology are moving biopharma closer to a world where treatments can be tailored while remaining cost-effective.

Technical challenges and lackluster investor sentiment about the near-term commercial potential of cell and gene therapies in neurological disorders may be holding the field back.