Avanos Medical Inc. has agreed to be acquired by affiliates of American Industrial Partners (AIP)  in an all-cash deal valuing the company at approximately $1.272 billion. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Avanos stockholders will receive $25 per share in cash for each share of common stock they hold.

Realta Life Sciences Inc. raised an additional $40 million in the final tranche of its series A investment, bringing the total the company has raised to more than $150 million through mission-driven investors and a family-office model.

Oricell Therapeutics Holdings Ltd closed a $110 million pre-IPO round to expand its global footprint and advance its lead candidate, a GPC3-targeted autologous CAR T therapy for liver cancer to registrational trials.

Total biopharma financings reached $22.82 billion in the first quarter (Q1) 2026, rising about 74% from $13.12 billion in Q1 2025 but declining 31% from $33.16 billion in Q4 2025. The strong start places 2026 well above the subdued levels seen from 2022 through 2025, though is still below the highs of $38.35 billion in Q1 2021 and $47.25 billion in Q1 2024. Overall, the data indicate a meaningful rebound in financing activity to begin 2026, following a more uneven 2025.

Armed with a fully subscribed $80 million series D round, Life Biosciences Inc. is making progress with its lead candidate, ER-100, which is in phase I trials testing its theory on reversing the biological effects of aging via partial epigenetic reprogramming.

Syneron Bio is emerging as one of the most heavily backed new entrants in the macrocyclic peptide space, raising more than $250 million in venture funding and securing a multibillion-dollar deal with Astrazeneca plc as it builds a platform spanning several of the most competitive frontiers in drug development.