Among Europe’s flourishing niche of mid-sized pharmaceutical companies, Italy’s Recordati and Spain’s Almirall have snapped up smaller local companies during the past six to nine months, while Switzerland’s Actelion is concentrating on executing new product launches while considering M&A.

Topicals and injectables were the most common types of products to receive drug GMP warning letters in FY 2013. All 43 warning letters are listed here by dosage form with the key issues described.

Device firms closed the final quarter of 2012 with $1.1 billion in financing, led by Volcano’s debt offering. Takeovers of Gambro and PSS Medical topped the device M&A list. At $196 million, Q4 diagnostic financing was the lowest quarter of the year, but IPOs returned with three public debuts. Amgen’s $415 million acquisition of deCODE was the largest diagnostic M&A.

McKesson buys PSS World Medical. St. Jude Medical draws FDA form 483. Cibiem raises $10 million for heart failure, hypertension treatment. More news briefs.