Brain Scientific Inc. plans to acquire Piezo Motion Corp. in an all-stock transaction expected to close in July 2021. The deal depends in part on the successful closing of a $5 million funding round. At closing, Brain Scientific will acquire 100% of Piezo’s outstanding shares along with its assets and liabilities. Piezo Motion’s shareholders will receive the number of shares of Brain Scientific’s common stock equal to 100% of its issued and outstanding shares immediately prior to closing on a fully diluted, as converted basis.

Diagnostics powerhouse Danaher Corp. has agreed to buy Aldevron LLC, a privately held biotech company that supplies a key ingredient for COVID-19 vaccines, from EQT VIII Fund for $9.6 billion in cash. Based in Fargo, N.D., with additional operations in Madison, Wis., Aldevron makes high-quality plasmid DNA, mRNA and recombinant proteins used in vaccines, gene and cell therapy, gene editing and diagnostic applications.

As demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-driven health assessment platforms grows, software developer Ada Health GmbH has signed more than 10 new partnerships with key players across life sciences, insurance and health systems. These include pharmaceutical partners Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Sanofi SA, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., as well as Taj Digital Health, Sutter Health, and more.

The largest med-tech M&As so far in 2021 have bumped the year’s value well above this point last year, although none come close to the October merger of Teladoc Health Inc. and Livongo Health Inc. for $18.5 billion. Still, 2021 appears on track to exceed 2020’s $38 billion M&A total, with 227 completed M&As already valued at $25 billion, 66% of 2020’s full-year amount.

Barely a week after cutting a deal with Beigene Ltd. that included an up-front of $45 million cash, Shoreline Biosciences Inc. and Gilead Sciences Inc.-owned Kite are collaborating to develop allogeneic cell therapies in a deal that could bring Shoreline more than $2.3 billion plus royalties.

Iteos Therapeutics Inc. and Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) are sharing costs for global development of the anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody EOS-448 and plan to split the U.S. profits in a deal that brings Iteos an up-front payment of $625 million plus up to $1.45 billion in potential milestone payments.

Phase III stakes are always high. But for Merck & Co. Inc., results of a late-stage test of its SARS-CoV-2 antiviral, molnupiravir, stand to determine not just the fate of a desired emergency use authorization (EUA), but also a $1.2 billion purchase agreement with the U.S. government pending the EUA. The RNA polymerase inhibitor, invented at Emory University and developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP, is being evaluated in a phase III study for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. An earlier study found it unlikely to deliver clinical benefit for hospitalized patients.

For the second time, the biopharma industry’s largest event will be held virtually as BIO Digital 2021, with pandemic preparedness and infectious diseases a running theme throughout many of the scheduled sessions.