Illumina Inc.’s acquisition of cancer diagnostic specialist Grail Inc. is on go in a $7.1 billion transaction that is structured so that it can be unwound with limited impact on Illumina. However, a number of regulatory entities are closely scrutinizing the deal for a potential regulatory challenge, a fact of life that shaved nearly 10% off the value of the company’s shares in early Aug. 19 trading, and which could ultimately scuttle the transaction altogether.

Visus Therapeutics Inc. has expanded its ophthalmic drug portfolio, in-licensing investigational therapies for glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration from Cella Therapeutics LLC, which will be developed by Finland’s Delsitech Ltd. using its extended-release depot technology.

Verily Life Sciences LLC, a division of Alphabet Inc., took its first major step to fulfill its goal of transforming clinical trials with the announcement of an agreement to buy Signalpath LLC for an undisclosed sum. The deal is Verily’s first major acquisition since the company spun out of Google Inc. in 2015. It’s likely not the last deal for the company in the short-term, however, as it raised $700 million in December 2020 to fund its aggressive expansion plans.

Memic Innovative Surgery Ltd. agreed to combine with Medtech Acquisition Corp. in a transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021. The deal establishes an eye-popping $1 billion pro forma valuation for the company, which received FDA clearance for its first device just four months ago.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has made no secret of its intent to tighten its oversight of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, an emphasis that has already been felt in the med-tech space. Soliton Inc., of Houston, said in its latest 8-K filing that the FTC wants to see more information about plans for the company to be acquired by Allergan Aesthetics plc, a demand that at the very least will delay – and potentially derail altogether – the acquisition.

Merz Therapeutics GmbH is partnering with Israeli startup Vensica Therapeutics Ltd. on the development of an ultrasound-assisted delivery catheter to deliver Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) to the bladder wall. The catheter, currently in clinical trials for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB), is expected to be available in the U.S. by 2025.

A total of 946 med-tech deals so far in 2021 are valued at $537.42 million, which pales in comparison to each of the last three years, although the volume is way ahead, indicating robust activity but a high number of deals with undisclosed terms.

Continuing its push to streamline the imaging industry from equipment to vertical integration, Nano-x Imaging Ltd. (Nanox) agreed to acquire Zebra Medical Vision Ltd. and signed a letter of intent to buy Usarad Holding Inc. and its related company Medical Diagnostics Web. The timing of the transactions, designed to create an end-to-end radiology solution, was not announced.

Nihon Kohden Corp. has acquired Advanced Medical Predictive Devices, Diagnostics and Displays Inc. (AMP3D) for an undisclosed sum. The company provides data analytics and artificial intelligence solutions for proactive clinical care. Charlottesville, Va.-based AMP3D owns a large library of clinical predictive algorithms, as well as the Continuous Monitoring of Event Trajectories predictive analytics platform. The latter, a software-as-a-service platform, leverages patients’ continuous monitoring data, vita signs, medical records and laboratory tests to display patients’ risk trajectories, both in current and continuous time.

Medtronic plc reported it will acquire Intersect ENT, a deal that represents a major expansion of Medtronic’s footprint in the ear/nose/throat (ENT) space. Intersect’s products for chronic rhinosinusitis will give Medtronic access to a medical market said to be among the top 10 most expensive conditions for employers, with a potential patient population of 35 million in the U.S. alone.