Bristol and Regeneron sign separate cell therapy technology pacts, plus deals involving Takeda/ImmunoGen, Serina/AgeX, Cybin/Small Pharma, Taiho/Phost’in, Royalty/Ferring and Aardvark/GRI Bio.

Evolving challenges will keep the COVID-19 pipeline active, while oncology, immunology and CNS are areas also expected to see much progress in 2022. Industry executives look forward to the year in therapeutic R&D.

Medtech companies raised $2.4 billion in the fourth quarter, the second-strongest of the year; Q4 device M&A deals totaled $9 billion in value, led by Allergan's $2.9 billion buy of Acelity's LifeCell division. Diagnostics financings finished out the year at $721 million, an increase over the previous quarter and 2016's second-highest quarter, but diagnostics M&A activity was the lowest of the year at $87 million, with only two completed acquisitions.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding, including companies within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals sectors. This month’s column covers deals announced April through May 2015.