AbbVie takes options on three oncolytic virus immunotherapies under development at Turnstone. Amgen and CytomX swap IP in cancer immunotherapy collaboration, while Nicox and pSivida will team to fight glaucoma and other eye diseases.

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 in May 2016.

At $1.8 billion, Q2 device financing nearly doubled the Q1 total, mainly from an increase in IPOs and early VC rounds, and acquisitions were slightly higher at $4.7 billion. Diagnostics funding also increased to $784 million from Q1's $597 million, and Danaher's monster $13.8 billion buy of life sciences company Pall headlined the second quarter's $15.6 billion total in diagnostics M&A activity.

In many ways, the year in diagnostics can be characterized as “more of the same.” The biggest newsmaker was FDA’s finally taking steps toward establishing an oversight framework for the regulation of laboratory-developed tests.