Merrimack licensed Baxter its Phase III pancreatic cancer candidate MM398 for $100 million up front and $620 million in pre-commercial milestones; Merck KGAA added life sciences products in its $16.7 billion acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich. Biopharma and device financing were both up from the previous month.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Medical Device Deals Update column is a survey of recent medtech M&A, alliance, and financing activity. This month’s column covers deals announced September-October 2014.

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 August-September 2014.

Device companies finished 2013 strong, raising $1.2 billion in Q4, the highest quarter total of the year. CVS Caremark’s $2.1 billion buy of Apria’s infusion therapy business was the largest M&A of the year, and late-stage venture rounds dominated the $423 million total in diagnostics funding.