Fred’s Exits Specialty Pharmacy, CVS Gains

Fred’s Exits Specialty Pharmacy, CVS Gains

Fred’s Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) has had second thoughts about the specialty pharmacy business. Three years ago, in March 2015, the retailer acquired Reeves-Sain Drug Store, Inc., a retail pharmacy with a single location in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Included in the $66 million deal was EntrustRx Specialty Pharmacy, a direct-to-consumer operation with three locations in Mississippi and Tennessee. EnTrustRx was licensed in all 50 states, and dispenses specialty pharmaceuticals to treat complex conditions and diseases that require ongoing support for extensive periods of time. Its main therapy lines include hepatitis C, oncology, growth hormones, multiple sclerosis and rheumatology. In the... Read More »
Q1:18 Results: Healthcare Goes Retail

Q1:18 Results: Healthcare Goes Retail

First, the easy news. Deal volume in the first quarter of 2018 was on par with the previous quarter’s total of 380 deals. Preliminary data show 378 transactions were announced in the first quarter, making for a decline of 1% that will likely be erased as more deal activity is uncovered. Compared with the first quarter in 2017, however, deal volume was down 14%, versus the 439 deals reported then. Deal value for the quarter is where the data deviates from previous norms. The first quarter in 2017 posted a very robust $59.6 billion in disclosed deal value. In the fourth quarter of the year, deal value leapt to nearly $115.0 billion, thanks largely to the $77 billion proposed acquisition of... Read More »
Managed Care Sector Had a Big Q4:17

Managed Care Sector Had a Big Q4:17

The fourth quarter of 2017 will be remembered for some time to come, thanks to the game-changing deal announced between pharmacy/retailer CVS Health and Aetna, one of the largest managed care companies in the country. That was only one deal, of course, and there were actually 10 transactions announced in Q4:17. Fourth quarter deal volume represents a 38% share of the 26 deals announced in the previous 12 months, and a 150% increase over the same quarter in 2016. Source: HealthCareMandA.com, January 2018 Two of the 10 deals disclosed prices in the fourth quarter, for nearly $80.6 billion, the highest ever recorded in this sector, or several others. The total represents 95% of the $84.7... Read More »

2017 Biggest Healthcare Deals by Sector

2017 was another big year for billion-dollar healthcare transactions. Among the deals that disclosed prices, 44 topped the billion-dollar mark, for a total of approximately $263.1 billion. Although that number seems high, there were 50 billion-dollar deals announced in 2015, although those totaled a slightly lower $240.1 billion. 2016 posted lower totals for both the number of billion-dollar deals (39) and combined prices ($194.1 billion). Of course the biggest healthcare deal in 2017 was the $77 billion acquisition of Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) by CVS Health (NYSE: CVS). But there were many more sizable transactions across the sectors, as the chart below illustrates. See how many you remember... Read More »
Q4:17 Redefined Healthcare M&A

Q4:17 Redefined Healthcare M&A

Despite all the big deals announced in December, the fourth quarter of 2017 wasn’t one for the record books. Merger and acquisition activity was busy, but compared with the previous quarter and the same period in 2016, the pace wasn’t frenetic. Our preliminary data shows 357 transactions were announced in Q4:17, down a slight 4% compared with the third quarter of 2017, and down 8% versus the fourth quarter of 2016. Dollar volume, on the other hand, was quite high. Preliminary data (again) shows nearly $114.3 billion was spent in Q4:17, a 165% gain over Q3:17, and nearly 200% over Q4:16. That total rests largely on the back of a single deal, which you’ve probably heard... Read More »