Just over a month after scoring U.S. FDA clearance for dry eye disease therapy Miebo (perfluorohexyloctane), Bausch + Lomb Corp. is adding Xiidra (lifitegrast) to its arsenal in the same indication as part of the potential $2.5 billion deal with Novartis AG, which is divesting its “front-of-eye” ophthalmology assets.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has declared its opposition to a proposed merger between Cochlear Ltd. And Oticon Medical A/S, two of the prime movers in the bone conduction implant space.
Sometimes a merger or acquisition brings a device that has a set of indications for use that cannot be practicably expanded, but Nathan Downing of Gardner Law of Stillwater, Minn., said this is not always the case. Downing said that preliminary conversations between the two parties to mergers and acquisitions can clarify a lot about whether a particular device has ample room to grow.
Conformis Inc. has inked a definitive agreement to be acquired by Restor3d Inc., in a move that could potentially create a formidable presence in the personalized orthopedics space. Under the agreement, Restor3d will acquire all outstanding shares of Conformis common stock (NYSE:CFMS) at $2.27 per share in cash. The purchase price represents a roughly 96% premium to Conformis’ closing price on June 22, 2023.
Stephanix SAS and Incepto Medical SAS reported signing a strategic partnership at the annual congress of the French association for female medical imaging (SIFEM) in Bordeaux. The companies are joining forces by way of a distribution agreement to improve the medical imaging available in France.
Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. will acquire Lightpoint Medical Ltd. in a $35 million deal that will expand its urology pipeline and bring in house a new surgery-focused unit. Under the terms of the deal, Telix of Melbourne, Australia, will pay Lightpoint $20 million up front and a further $15 million on achievement of certain development milestones. The up-front payment will be paid in equity, and the additional milestones will be payable in cash or equity, at Telix’s election.
After a licensing deal with Galvanize Therapeutics Inc., Energenx Medical Ltd. will develop and commercialize pulsed electric field therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, where there is a significant need. The deal could also be the basis for future exports out of China as Energenx develops its own products.
Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD) agreed to sell its Surgical Instrumentation platform to Steris plc for $540 million in keeping with the company’s corporate strategy to simplify its product portfolio by 2025. The divestiture includes the V. Mueller, Snowden-Pencer and Genesis products as well as three dedicated manufacturing facilities. Steris will also pick up about 360 employees with the platform. The companies expect the all-cash transaction to close by Sept. 30, 2023, pending regulatory approval.
In the first five months of 2023, med-tech deal value is at the highest amount in recent years – up 128.219% from last year – while deal volume has decreased by 12.29%. Through May this year, 742 med-tech deals have raised a potential $5.38 billion, compared to 846 deals totalling $2.36 billion last year. The two recent years are vastly more than 2021, when through May there were 661 deals raising $386.69 million.
After winning a brutal proxy battle led by activist investor Carl Icahn, Francis deSouza suddenly resigned as CEO and as a member of the board of Illumina Inc. over the weekend. The company appointed General Counsel Charles Dadswell to serve as the interim CEO while it evaluates internal and external candidates for the position. DeSouza will continue in an advisory role until July 31.