Following last year’s U.S. election, uncertainty over the industry’s regulatory outlook sparked a slump in health care stocks, further pressuring a sector that had lagged throughout the year. But following the sell-off, many companies are trading at attractive valuations, creating opportunities for investors with a long-term approach.

“That includes forgotten pharma, or drugmakers that don’t offer weight loss treatments,” according to Cheryl Frank, portfolio manager for Capital Group. “I am looking for opportunities to invest in dividend payers that have been left behind by the market.”

While weight loss drugs, such as GLP-1s (which I’ve taken with great results!), tend to capture the spotlight, advances are being made on many other fronts. The largest pharmaceutical companies have more than two hundred drugs in their pipelines.

As these companies tackle some of the world’s most debilitating ailments, patients have experienced lower mortality rates and longer life expectancies. Over the next decade, we could see effective treatments for ALS, sickle cell and muscular dystrophy. Risks are always present when investing in biotech and pharma companies, but we could be at the start of a golden age of health care — for patients and investors.

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Credit: Capital Group