During a visit to Shanghai, Sanofi’s chief strategy officer sits down to talk about the company’s playbook for emerging markets, which focuses on both the BRIC countries and up-and-coming markets like Vietnam, Colombia and Nigeria.

At $4.2 billion, biopharma financing in Q4 2012 showed a 36% increase over Q3 with FOPOs again dominating as the most popular deal type. With 34 finalized biopharma M&As, Q4 was the most active quarter of all 2012 for acquisitions. The 108 biopharma alliances completed had a combined potential deal value of almost $2 billion; Johnson & Johnson, with seven tie-ups, was the busiest pharmaco during Q4.

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, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and research/analytical instrumentation and reagents. All transactions are excerpted from Elsevier's Strategic Transactions database, providing comprehensive transaction coverage from 1991 to the present.

Sanofi sees China sales dip slightly in Q3, but expects sales to rebound in the next few quarters as it sets its sights on other emerging markets such as Vietnam and Africa. Bristol Myers Squibb piggybacks on brands like Baraclude and Orencia to grow deeper in China and greater Asia.