Medtech companies raised $2.4 billion in the fourth quarter, the second-strongest of the year; Q4 device M&A deals totaled $9 billion in value, led by Allergan's $2.9 billion buy of Acelity's LifeCell division. Diagnostics financings finished out the year at $721 million, an increase over the previous quarter and 2016's second-highest quarter, but diagnostics M&A activity was the lowest of the year at $87 million, with only two completed acquisitions.

Recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced in November 2016.

Pieris ProteoLab was founded in February 2001 to commercialize anticalins, a novel class of antibody mimetics based on a lipocalin scaffold. Due to their molecular architecture, anticalins offer some distinct advantages over antibodies; Pieris will exploit these advantages in developing new drugs for oncology and inflammatory diseases.