by | Jul 7, 2017 4:30 pm | Biotechnology, eHealth
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 »
by | Jun 23, 2017 4:29 pm | eHealth, Private Equity
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 »
by | Jun 14, 2017 4:37 pm | eHealth, Laboratories, MRI & Dialysis
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 »
by | Jun 9, 2017 7:28 pm | Behavioral Health Care, CRO, eHealth, Home Health & Hospice, Hospitals, Laboratories, MRI & Dialysis, Long-Term Care, Managed Care, Medical Devices, Other Services, Pharmaceuticals, Physician Medical Groups, Rehabilitation
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 »
by | Jun 2, 2017 6:43 pm | eHealth, Private Equity
Mergers and acquisitions in the eHealth sector are surging, and data is driving some of the biggest deals in health care. Deal volume in the digital health space went from 68 transactions in 2013 to 157 announced in 2016, a 131% increase. Transaction levels remained in the double-digits from 2000 until 2012, when 103 digital deals were recorded. Since 2014, when annual deal volume reached triple-digits, M&A has grown almost exponentially. Dollar volume shot up as well, growing from annual totals in the hundreds of millions early in the century to seven-figure totals beginning in 2005. The $11.5 billion total logged in 2009 was something of a milestone. The $20.2 billion total posted in... Read More »
by | May 17, 2017 1:46 pm | Behavioral Health Care, eHealth, Home Health & Hospice, Hospitals, Private Equity
Financial buyers, which include real estate investment trusts and private equity firms, are not the dominant players in the health care M&A market. Their participation depends on many factors, with valuations being an important determinant, (see chart below). Middle-market private equity firms, in particular, have had a hard time getting into and then winning auctions for health care entities in the past few years, as strategic buyers have outspent or even pre-empted auctions. In the first quarter, financial buyers accounted for 15% of the deal volume, with 59 deals, which is slightly lower than the previous four quarters. The first quarter featured eight deals that topped the $1.0... Read More »