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%.
Clinical data through the last week of October 2022 has dropped 17% in comparison with 2021. So far in 2022, there have been a total of 2,812 phase I, II and III clinical entries, compared with 3,389 during the first 10 months of 2021.
The value of med-tech mergers and acquisitions, as well as deals, fell in the third quarter, although 2022 remains a standout year. M&As are at a five-year high, while deals are second only to 2019, in terms of overall value during the first three quarters. The volume of M&As are behind 2021, but deal volume this year remains on top.
While third quarter med-tech financing proceeds rose by nearly 20% over the second quarter, making it the best quarter this year, amounts raised for the first nine months of 2022 are still down by 40% in comparison with 2021.
While 2022 represents the lowest financing year for med-tech companies over the past four years, amounts raised through IPOs, venture capital rounds and private placements are still topping other years, while stagnant follow-on activity weighs heavily on the overall total.
