During the second quarter of 2011, 57 medical device companies brought in a total of $1.7 billion in financings. The M&A activity reached $28.8 billion, unusually high due to Johnson & Johnson's $21.7 billion takeover of orthopedic device maker Synthes. VC funding represented $76 million or 43% of the second quarter's in vitro diagnostics/research financing aggregate of $177 million. A hefty $4.1 billion was spent on 11 in vitro diagnostic/research M&A transactions, the largest being Thermo Fisher's $3.5 billion buy of Swedish genetics testing firm Phadia AB.

Start-Up's monthly comprehensive review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding during the month, including companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic and research instrumentation and reagent sectors.