Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced February 2020.

Device financing during 2019’s final quarter totaled $1.6bn, a substantial decrease from Q3’s $4.05bn. Merger and acquisition activity, almost doubled from the previous quarter reaching $6.1bn; Stryker’s 4.7bn takeover of Wright Medical was the only billion-dollar transaction. Financings by diagnostics/research players totaled $1.3bn (the lowest quarter of the year) and eight companies were acquired, five of which together were valued at $981m.

Nurix and Sanofi signed a $2.55bn deal using DELigase DNA-encoded libraries to targeted protein degradation therapies for the three targets. Lilly enhanced its immunology pipeline with the $1.1bn takeover of Dermina and its atopic dermatitis antibody lebrikizumab. Biopharma financing was slightly up, while device funding somewhat decreased.