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 »

Stryker Corp. Is Back in Action

Last year we predicted that, after a busy 2016, Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK), the Michigan-based medical device giant, would have a quiet 2017 as it integrated its new product lines. Little surprise then, that more than six months into 2017, the company just announced its first deal of the year. On June 19, 2017, Stryker bought NOVADAQ Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: NVDQ) for $11.75 per share, or an equity value of approximately $701 million. NOVADAQ develops, manufactures and markets fluorescence imaging products for use by surgeons in the operating room and other clinical settings in the United States and internationally. The acquisition aligns with Stryker’s focus on enhancing... 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 »

Aziyo Biologics Buys CorMatrix Assets

Aziyo Biologics, Inc. is finally gaining some traction. The company was formed in November 2015 by HighCape Partners, a growth equity fund focused on commercial-stage life sciences companies. Deerfield Management Co. joined HighCape in providing capital for the transaction. Aziyo develops customized tissue products for use in orthopedic, spinal, sports medicine, and dermal applications. On May 31, 2017, the company announced the completion of an asset purchase agreement with CorMatrix® Cardiovascular, Inc. for the purchase of all CorMatrix commercial assets and related intellectual property. CorMatrix develops biomaterial devices that harness the body’s own innate... Read More »

Medical Device Deals Stagnated in Q1:17

Deal volume in the Medical Device sector stagnated in early 2017, dropping 4% to 22 transactions in the first quarter. Deal volume was also down 29%, compared with Q1:16. This quarter accounted for 21% of the 104 deals announced in the previous 12 months. The excise tax that was introduced through the Affordable Care Act in January 2013 was suspended temporarily in December 2015. Now, medical device makers are hoping the tax will be rescinded completely with whatever bill Republicans pass to replace the ACA. The permanent repeal would brighten the outlook for startups and venture capitalists, and could lead to more innovation (and M&A) in the future. Source: HealthCareMandA.com, April... Read More »