Health Care Deal Volume Slows in Q2:2017, As Dollar Volume Rises

Health care merger and acquisition activity slowed in the second quarter of 2017. Compared with the first quarter of 2017, deal volume decreased 15%, to 366 transactions. Deal volume was also lower compared with the same quarter the year before, down 14%. Combined spending in the second quarter reached $95.8 billion, an increase of 62% compared with the $59.1 billion spent in the previous quarter, according to HealthCareMandA.com. Second quarter deal value was up 8% compared with the $88.7 billion spent in Q2:16. Health care services transactions accounted for 52% of the second quarter’s dollar volume, much higher than the 14% share reported in the first quarter, and the 19% share recorded... Read More »
June 2017 Deal Volume Shows Continued Strength

June 2017 Deal Volume Shows Continued Strength

Preliminary data for the month of June shows that investors are still bullish—or at least comfortable—betting on health care. Some 123 transactions were announced last month, an 11% decrease compared with May’s 138 transactions. Year over year, however, this early data is just 5% below the 130 deals announced in June 2016. For a little perspective, April 2017’s deal volume was just 104 transactions, which made the May numbers look very strong by comparison. June’s deal volume looks reassuringly healthy, as it is close to the year-ago total, and could be adjusted upward in the future as more deals come to light. The same trends we’ve noted in previous months are still playing out, too. Deal... Read More »

Konica Minolta Moves into Precision Medicine

Science is turning away from standardized treatment now that there is an understanding of how an individual’s genetic make up affects its response to different treatment. It is no surprise then, that drug development companies are looking to become top dogs in precision medicine. (“Precision medicine” is defined by the National Institutes of Health as medical care designed to optimize efficiency or therapeutic benefit for particular groups of patients, especially by using genetic or molecular profiling.) Success in precision medicine is dependent upon biomarkers that lend insight into a therapy’s efficacy. One simply cannot exist without the other, and for this reason,... Read More »

Telehealth Deals Come Calling

Telehealth companies have proliferated rapidly in recent years, and so have mergers and acquisitions targeting them. In the first half of 2017, 11 deals have been made public for U.S. companies or physician groups specializing in telehealth, compared with 13 deals announced in all of 2016. The latest deal from Teladoc (NYSE: TDOC) adds a global component to its roster. On June 19, Teladoc announced the acquisition of Best Doctors, Inc., backed by Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Best Doctors is a medical consultation company with a global network of more than 50,000 medical experts. These experts are peer-rated in a Gallup-certified poll as being in the top 5% of physicians in... Read More »

Invitae Focuses on Digital Health Deals

Nearly every area of healthcare can benefit from enhanced digital health capabilities. That is one reason eHealth targets are now sought after by a variety of acquirers. Some recent deal activity shows how digital health intersects with the Laboratories, MRI & Dialysis sector. Invitae (NYSE: NVTA) is one of the fastest growing genetic information companies in the United States. The company processes DNA-containing samples, analyzes information about patient-specific genetic variation, and generates test reports for clinicians and their patients using an integrated portfolio of laboratory processes, software tools, and informatics capabilities. In 2017, the company has set its... Read More »
June 2017 Deal Volume Shows Continued Strength

Investors Want Health Care Services with No Strings Attached

Preliminary data for the month of May shows an encouraging uptick in deal volume, with the services sectors making up 66% of the total. Some 134 transactions were announced last month, a 30% increase over April’s anemic 103 deal volume total. But monthly transaction totals in 2017 are not keeping pace with those in 2016. A year ago, 151 transactions were announced, 11% higher than in May 2017. There’s no question that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the American Health Care Act hangs heavily on healthcare investors. The Senate Republicans have been at work behind closed doors to craft a different deal than the one sent to them by the House Republicans in mid-May. From the handful of... Read More »