During Q3 biopharmas reached $41.7bn in merger and acquisition value and drew in $44.4bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $17.9bn while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players completed M&A activity that totaled $8.2bn.

During Q3, biopharmas brought in an aggregate $36.6bn in financing and device company fundraising totaled $3.3bn; while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players raised $3.4bn.

Clinical trial sponsors can obtain valuable support from contract research organizations (CROs) but nonetheless remain liable for the conduct of their trials. Sidley Austin partner Dorothee Schramm and senior associate Katie von der Weid, both specialized in international commercial disputes, share tips to protect against common problems that can arise during the course of clinical trials.

Seattle Genetics and Merck penned an agreement to globally develop and commercialize (on a co-exclusive basis) Seattle Genetics’ ladiratuzumab vedotin, an investigational antibody-drug conjugate in Phase II trials for breast cancer and other solid tumors. The deal has a potential value of over $4bn. While Gilead Sciences entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Immunomedics Inc. for $88 per share in cash, or approximately $21bn. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2020. Financing reached $14.6bn in biopharma, $824m in devices and $1.9bn in diagnostics.

This month’s column covers deals announced in September 2020. Data provided by Biomedtracker. 

VC investors and medtech strategists alike at APACMed’s 2020 virtual conference agreed that the challenges presented by COVID-19 have given healthtech a higher profile and accelerated the arrival of health system workflow improvements.