Biopharma has experienced relatively stable deal value year-over-year, despite a 24% decline in the number of deals through April. M&As, however, have brought in the lowest amount in years.
Med-tech financings have continued to decline from 2021's peak when they brought in a combined total of $27.76 billion through April. In the first four months of 2022, that dropped 61.74% to $10.62 billion and this year they have fallen 44.16% to $5.93 billion. Broken out by type of financing, med-tech follow-ons are higher than the same period last year ($2.6 billion in early 2023 vs. $1.73 billion through April of last year).
Despite a strong 2022 for both med-tech deals and M&As, the industry lost ground with both types of transactions in the first quarter of 2023, with deal values falling 32% and M&A values dropping 83%, in comparison with the first quarter of last year.
The amount of money raised by med-tech companies in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 is the lowest amount raised for the industry during any quarter going back to 2018.
The volume of med-tech deals and M&As dropped in the fourth quarter of 2022, although it was a solid year for both types of transactions due to a growing interest in the digital health space.
While the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022 raised the most money of any quarter this year, the overall amount collected through med-tech financings – $38.3 billion – is still 22.3% less than 2021’s $49.3 billion raised.
The proportion of clinical data focused on COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines has dropped from 21.3% in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to only 7.7% for 2022.
Chatter about an impending acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics plc sent its shares soaring 61% throughout November, making it the best performing stock of the month among the 30 companies that are part of BioWorld’s Drug Developers Index (BDDI).
Digital health remains a primary driver of med-tech partnerships and mergers, accounting for 67.3% of all deal activity and 49.9% of the completed M&As in 2022.
A large notes offering this month and a pick-up in public raises have boosted med-tech financings, which are now tracking similarly with 2019. So far this year, the med-tech industry has raised $35.7 billion through 457 transactions. The amount raised is down by 23% in comparison with the same time frame in 2021, although a few months ago that gap was 48%. The current volume is down by 25.4%.
