M&A Transactions Remain Steady But Deal Volumes Tumble in 2012

The pace of the industry's mergers and acquisitions (M&A's) activity is a closely tracked statistic. The number of deals conducted each year not only reflects the vibrancy of the sector but also speaks to the business strategies of pharmaceutical companies. The common trend over the past five years or so has been for pharma firms to boost their thinning product pipelines by acquiring biotech's own innovation.