In the third quarter of 2012, start-up companies raised a total of $682 million across all industries, roughly 19% more than in the previous quarter. Of that money, 65% went to biopharmas. Several large molecule-focused companies inked deals during Q3. Four start-ups were acquired – three biopharmas and one medical device company.

START-UP’s monthly update on technology transfer deals—licensing agreements between companies and universities or other research institutions—in in vitro diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and research/analytical equipment & supplies.

After a bright promise in the early 1980s, cardiac lasers fell out of favor due to high complication rates and equivocal clinical results. Laser pioneer Spectranetics faced those problems and more, causing the company to languish in the 1990s. Now its back, with a new marketing partner, US Surgical, in a hot new area, TMR, and a strategy that allows the company to spread its risk.