The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a blow to Johnson & Johnson’s Vision Care business, but the company maintained its innovation program and kept customer engagement to the fore. It has started to see a return to positive contact lens buying trends, says Vision Care European business leaders Sandra Rasche and Lisa Ann Hill.

The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a blow to Johnson & Johnson’s Vision Care business, but the company maintained its innovation program and kept customer engagement to the fore. It has started to see a return to positive contact lens buying trends, says Vision Care European business leaders Sandra Rasche and Lisa Ann Hill.

Medical device companies raised $800 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, and venture capital represented half of that amount. Just over $4 billion was spent to acquire medical device companies, down 50% from Q3’s $8 billion. In vitro diagnostics/research financings were well above the previous quarter, raking in a total of $269 million, with late-stage rounds again bringing in most of the Q4 money. Only five M&A deals were completed, totalling $915 million – way down from Q3’s $2.8 billion for the same number of deals.

A roundup of recent medtech strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions and financings.