Isis Pharmaceuticals founder, CEO and chairman Stanley Crooke knew it would take decades for antisense to prove itself. And while it's taken a few more years than expected for others to acknowledge the technology's potential, 2013 has been a good year for antisense in general and Isis in particular.

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.

Two pharma-backed venture investment firms put $16 million into a Series A round for a new Southern California dermatology drug company called Thesan Pharmaceuticals, which is run by Gordon Foulkes - the former CEO of San Diego startup Excaliard Pharmaceuticals that Pfizer acquired in 2011 (scripintelligence.com, 23 November 2011).