Sangamo licensed Biogen zinc finger protein transcription factor candidates in an alliance worth over $2bn. Exercising an option it gained in 2017, Takeda bought celiac disease-focused PvP Biologics for up to $330m in earn-outs. A strong showing of IPOs prompted biopharma financing to increase from last month.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced February 2020.

Device financing during 2019’s final quarter totaled $1.6bn, a substantial decrease from Q3’s $4.05bn. Merger and acquisition activity, almost doubled from the previous quarter reaching $6.1bn; Stryker’s 4.7bn takeover of Wright Medical was the only billion-dollar transaction. Financings by diagnostics/research players totaled $1.3bn (the lowest quarter of the year) and eight companies were acquired, five of which together were valued at $981m.

Nurix and Sanofi signed a $2.55bn deal using DELigase DNA-encoded libraries to targeted protein degradation therapies for the three targets. Lilly enhanced its immunology pipeline with the $1.1bn takeover of Dermina and its atopic dermatitis antibody lebrikizumab. Biopharma financing was slightly up, while device funding somewhat decreased.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced January 2020.

Financing for biopharma companies increased by 19% in Q4 to $15.8bn. M&A value quadrupled, compared with Q3, thanks to nine billion-dollar-plus transactions, led by the buy-out of Nestle Skin Health, now Galderma.Among the key alliances of Q4 were recurring themes of gene therapy and oncology, but also big investments in oligonucleotide technologies.