Michael Engsig, CEO of Oslo, Norway-based Vaccibody AS, said the company’s deal with Roche Holding AG lets his firm “fully set in motion” the plan to explore infectious diseases as well as cancer, and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) Agnete Fredriksen pointed out that “an exceptional cross-functional team” has been put in place to get the job done. Vaccibody signed the new contract with Basel, Switzerland-based Roche’s Genentech arm to develop and sell DNA-based individualized neoantigen vaccines for cancers. The tie-up brings as much as $715 million for Vaccibody.

Medtronic plc has unveiled its latest buy this year with the planned acquisition of Avenu Medical Inc., which focuses on the endovascular creation of arteriovenous (AV) fistulae for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis. The two did not disclose the terms of the transaction.

More than 62% of the volume and 63% of the projected values of med-tech deals completed in 2020 are for one of two things: COVID-19 diagnostics and devices or digital health technologies that fall outside of the pandemic efforts. As of late September, BioWorld has tracked 1,012 deals this year – including licensings, collaborations and joint ventures – valued at $3.67 billion, as well as 272 completed mergers and acquisitions valued at $8.53 billion.

Smith+Nephew plc has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Extremity Orthopedics business of Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corp. for $240 million in cash. The deal, which is slated to close around the end of this year, gives the London-based company a catalog of devices, implants and instruments that generated $90 million in revenue in 2019.

Dexcom Inc. has partnered with the University of Virginia (U.Va.) to accelerate development of next generation continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automated insulin delivery technology. The five-year agreement will focus on expanding CGM use in type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and in-hospital settings.

Corza Health Inc. has agreed to pay Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. €350 million (US$409.8 million) in cash to acquire the Japanese drugmaker’s Tachosil fibrin sealant patch. The deal, which is expected to close by March 31, 2021, pending regulatory approvals, gives Corza Health a solid footing in the advanced wound care and closure market.

Early stage investment strategies and dealmaking in the age of COVID-19 became topics during the Biopharm America meeting, itself held virtually this year because of the pandemic. Kevin Johnson, partner and co-founder of European life sciences backer Medicxi, hailed an “unprecedented upswing” on the financial front. “There is no winter,” he said. “It’s amazing.”

Following days of speculation, Illumina Inc. said today it will acquire liquid biopsy startup Grail Inc. for $8 billion in cash and stock, bringing back into the fold a company it spun out in 2016. The deal gives Illumina a major stake in the race the race to develop a less-invasive way to diagnose cancer. Since spinning out, Grail has raised nearly $2 billion from big-name investors with promises of a blood test for early cancer detection and is hoping to introduce its liquid biopsy as a laboratory-developed test (LTD) as early as next year.