Strategics pursuing high growth M&A plays are often ready to pay a premium price for a target. But with medtech valuations at historic highs, they cannot afford to do that every time. One solution is to take a strategic stake and build early, according to an AdvaMed panel hosted by EY’s John Babitt.

The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference includes presentations from major medtech companies describing their experience in 2021 and expectations for 2022. Here are some highlights from the in vitro diagnostics companies that presented on the first two days of the meeting.

Quidel will pay $6bn for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. Labcorp will acquire Personal Genome Diagnostics for $575m.

Medtech industry group AdvaMed has developed a registry to share data on how many COVID-19 diagnostic tests are available and where they are, with a goal of foreseeing and nipping in the bud potential test shortages. Thirteen diagnostic manufacturers – including Abbott, Roche, Siemens and Thermo Fisher Scientific – have partnered with AdvaMed on the initiative.