During the second quarter of 2011, 57 medical device companies brought in a total of $1.7 billion in financings. The M&A activity reached $28.8 billion, unusually high due to Johnson & Johnson's $21.7 billion takeover of orthopedic device maker Synthes. VC funding represented $76 million or 43% of the second quarter's in vitro diagnostics/research financing aggregate of $177 million. A hefty $4.1 billion was spent on 11 in vitro diagnostic/research M&A transactions, the largest being Thermo Fisher's $3.5 billion buy of Swedish genetics testing firm Phadia AB.

For the first three months of 2011, medical device companies raised $733 million, with venture rounds bringing in $494 million. Two-thirds of the $3.9 billion in M&A activity came from Terumo's monstrous $2.6 billion cash takeover of US blood processing equipment maker CaridianBCT Holding. Buoyed by Opko Health's $105 million follow-on, the FOPO category represented almost half of the first quarter's in vitro diagnostics/research $370 million total. The stand-out IVD acquisition was Danaher's $6.8 billion takeover of publicly traded Beckman Coulter.

The dealmaking column is a survey of recent transactions, including strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions, and financings, in the life sciences industries. Deals are listed by the following industry sectors: in vitro diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and research/analytical instrumentation and reagents. All transactions are excerpted from Elsevier's Strategic Transactions.

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