The diversified Japanese materials group Asahi Kasei is planning to take its recombinant human thrombomodulin-alfa product ART-123 into the global arena through the start of an international Phase III trial for the treatment of severe sepsis and coagulopathy.

Medical device companies raised $1.1 billion, a 40% increase over Q4 2011’s $800 million. Two billion-dollar deals in the resuscitation market boosted device acquisition activity to $4.2 billion. Twenty diagnostics financings brought in a collective $302 million, soaring above the previous quarter’s $269 million. There were seven diagnostics M&A deals completed, totaling $589 million – down yet again.

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 database, providing comprehensive transaction coverage from 1991 to the present.

Japan's Asahi Kasei Pharma announced Nov. 22 that its acquisition of Massachusetts-based Artisan Pharma, a company it spun out in 2006.