Biopharma financing finished off 2017 strong with a total value of $14.5 billion in Q4, led again by FOPOs. CVS' massive $77 billion acquisition of Aetna resulted in an all-time quarterly high in the M&A category, and the largest alliances were dominated by the development of vaccines and antibodies.

Mallinckrodt is to acquire Sucampo Pharmaceuticals for about $1.2bn. The deal brings it a short-term sales boost from Amitiza, although the constipation treatment only has a few years left before generic competition hits. Longer-term hopes lie in two Phase III products for rare diseases.

Start-up Impact's new structured financing – its second fundraising event this month – will pay out in increments as fedratinib nears the market. Also, Ablynx closed its $200m US IPO; Chi-Med follow-on brings in $262m; and VCs gives Cydan $34m to launch new companies.

A review of biopharma start-up dealmaking and financing activity from April through June 2017, based on data from Strategic Transactions, showed that fundraising activity more than doubled compared with the first quarter.