Less than a month from its launch as a stand-alone business on Jan. 4, 2023, GE Healthcare Holding LLC provided a glimpse of its future plans for growth and anticipated financials for investors. The soon-to-be-launched company is hardly waiting until its spinoff to look for tuck-in acquisitions to boost sales and profitability and add new capabilities for customers and patients.

Boston Scientific Corp. offered $523 million in cash for 65% of Acotec Scientific Holdings Ltd., a manufacturer of vascular intervention devices. The acquisition would significantly expand Boston Scientific’s presence in China, which the company expects to account for about 25% of the global med-tech market by the end of the decade. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2023, subject to shareholder approval. The offer price of HK$20 or US$2.57 per share represents a premium of more than 31% over its close on Friday, Acotec reported.

In a move that put Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc. on a path to walk over other firms developing exoskeletons, the company acquired the Human Motion and Control (HMC) business unit from Parker Hannifin Corp. The deal expands Ekso’s lower-limb exoskeleton line to include the Indego Personal and Indego Therapy devices, which like its own exoskeleton platform, help patients recovering from stroke or spinal cord injuries walk again. The transaction also includes the development of related robotic-assisted orthotic and prosthetic devices.

Full-Life Technologies Ltd. reported that it will acquire Focus-X Therapeutics Inc. to expand its radiopharmaceutical oncology therapy pipeline in a deal worth up to $245 million.

Integra Lifesciences Holding Corp. agreed to acquire Surgical Innovation Associates Inc. (SIA) in a deal that could be worth $140 million, the companies reported. Integra will pay $50 million on closing, expected by the end of the year. The company will pay an additional $90 million contingent on achievement of certain revenue and regulatory milestones through 2026.

While other large med-tech companies are slimming their portfolios, Boston Scientific Corp. plans to beef its up considerably with the acquisition of Apollo Endosurgery Inc. for $10 per share for the 41.7 million shares outstanding or $417 million. Including the debt assumed, the all-cash deal has an enterprise value of $615 million. The $10 per share price represents a 67% premium to the Nov. 28, 2022, $6 close for Apollo shares. The companies expect the transaction to close in the first half of 2023.

As IPOs have slowed significantly in 2022, so have the debuts of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) targeting the life sciences industry, primarily due to two looming threats. This time a year ago, BioWorld had tracked 60 IPOs of SPACs searching for biopharma or med-tech targets and nearly 30 SPACs that had secured acquisitions. For 2022, there are 21 SPACs currently searching, and only two of those went public this year. As for completed M&As involving SPACs, there have been 17 this year and another nine that are pending.

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.

Evolent Health Inc. agreed to acquire Magellan Specialty Health from Centene Corp. in a deal worth up to $750 million. The companies also reported a strategic partnership to continue and expand Centene’s relationship with Magellan Specialty Health.