Private Company Edition: Also, Medicxi’s new €200m fund will be reinvested in a portfolio of six life science companies and Silverback more than doubled its 2020 money with an $85m series C round.

This week's roundup includes CEO appointments by Gyroscope Therapeutics, Urovant Sciences and Nevoii Pharmaceuticals, in addition to various other high-level appointments by companies including, Horizon Pharma, Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Modus Therapeutics and Adherium.

Brief summaries of recent medtech market and industry developments. This month we cover Covidien’s continuing buying spree, and other medtech M&A.

The capital drought that hit life science companies the past three years worked its way upstream in 2011, as several venture firms said they wouldn’t either continue in the life sciences or raise new funds. But our annual tally of life science Series A rounds presents a surprising twist: Series A rounds are up, not in blockbuster numbers by any stretch, but the downward trend of the recession years has finally been reversed. Among the year's nearly 100 Series A rounds we found plenty of oncology and peripheral vascular disease start-ups, as well as big bets on rare disease, along with some considerable nods to emerging markets.