Device and diagnostics fundraising slumped in Q2, but there was a substantial uptick in M&A activity. Device financings totaled just slightly over half of the previous quarter, while acquisitions grew almost six-fold, thanks primarily to Becton Dickinson's $23.5 billion play for CR Bard. Financing in diagnostics slid to $1.03 billion, less than half of Q1, whereas the $1.7 billion in M&As (most of that from PerkinElmer's $1.3 billion buy of EuroImmun) was more than double Q1's aggregate.

One-month results from the LUCY trial show that Endologix Ovation abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) stent graft, designed specifically for female anatomy, could make 28% more women eligible for a AAA endograft. LUCY, the first study to specifically evaluate endovascular aneurysm repair in women, is part of a trend of research focused on women's outcomes with cardiovascular devices.

As endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) becomes a mainstream procedure, companies are racing to develop products that can treat patients with more challenging anatomy. As the space bubbles with ongoing trials and new-product launches, newer companies hope to make their mark in a space dominated by the established market leaders Medtronic PLC, Cook Medical Inc. and WL Gore & Associates.

At $1.2 billion, Q4 device financing was the second-lowest quarter of 2015; M&A dollar volume was also low, but included multiple deals across various cardiovascular markets. Diagnostics financing was also down in Q4, totaling $403 million; acquisitions were worth $441 million.