Merck KGaA has signed an agreement with French company Biocorp SA to develop a version of its Mallya smart device for monitoring human growth hormone (HGH) treatment. Mallya is a clip-on device for pen injectors that collects the dose and time of each injection and transfers the information in real time to a companion software using Bluetooth technology. The device is CE marked (Class IIb) and was first launched in France in 2020.

With one completed med-tech merger ranking within the BioWorld Top 10 list for highest value, and two others set to join the list in coming months, 2021 is turning out to be the strongest M&A year for the industry to date.

Three is the magic number for Finnish companies Abacus Diagnostica Oy, Kaivogen Oy and Labrox Oy as they link up to develop a new diagnostic solution combining antibody and PCR testing on a single device. The three Turku, Finland-based companies said they are joining forces to form a new diagnostics powerhouse, harnessing their own unique expertise. Abacus Diagnostica develops molecular testing and rapid PCR tests while Kaivogen specializes in immunoassays and antibody tests and Labrox on laboratory instruments. All companies have previously collaborated on R&D projects.

Startup company Medial Earlysign Ltd. and Roche Diagnostics International Ltd. are teaming up to bring to market artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for early detection of cancer. Founded in 2013, Tel Aviv-based Medial Earlysign uses machine learning tools to flag patients with a high probability of developing specific illnesses. The partnership with Roche will initially focus on gastric cancer.

Zoll Medical Corp.’s plans to wake up the sleep apnea market segment advanced with the acquisition of Itamar Medical Ltd. for $538 million in cash. Itamar focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, a common and complicating comorbidity of the cardiovascular patients served by Zoll. The deal continues Zoll’s acquisitive trend, following the purchase of Minnetonka, Minn.-based Respicardia Inc., another sleep apnea-focused company, in April and Therox Inc., of Irvine, Calif., in 2019. Zoll has operated as an Asahi Kasei Corp. subsidiary since its own acquisition by the Tokyo-based conglomerate in 2012. Zoll will acquire all outstanding shares of Itamar for $31 per American depository share (ADS) or $1.03 per ordinary share. The deal represents a more than 50% premium over the price of Itamar’s Nasdaq-listed ADS on Sept. 10. Itamar’s shares spiked 43.41% in premarket trading on news of the acquisition.

Robotic technologies company Stereotaxis Inc. is scaling up its footprint in the Chinese med-tech market, with a deal to commercialize its robotic technology for heart rhythm therapy in China with Shanghai Microport EP Medtech Co. Ltd. The St. Louis-based Stereotaxis aims to introduce a second-generation robot called Genesis to the Chinese market that uses a magnetic navigation technology to treat heart rhythm disorders. Its partner, Shanghai Microport EP Medtech, is a division of one of China's largest med-tech manufacturers, Shanghai-based Microport Scientific Corp.

ICU Medical Inc. reached an agreement with Smiths Group plc to buy Smiths Medical division for $2.35 billion in cash and stock. The deal represents an improvement in the terms reached between Trulli Bidco Ltd. and Smiths Group in early August for the purchase of the same division. Trulli, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boston-based equity firm TA Associates, offered $2.3 billion with a kicker of $200 million contingent on future performance. “This is a positive for Smiths, and comes as something of a surprise (to us, and we suspect, investors),” said Andy Douglas, equity analyst, at Jefferies Equity Research. “The uplift in value of $0.4 million is helpful, and the opportunity to share more future upside is also a positive.”

Stryker Corp. has made its second acquisition of the year, picking up Gauss Surgical Inc. – the developer of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform for real-time monitoring of blood loss during surgery. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Stryker’s shares (NASDAQ:SYK) were trading 5% higher following the acquisition. Menlo Park, Calif.-based Gauss Surgical’s Triton AI technology aims to fill a void in maternal health by enabling early detection of hemorrhage.

TORONTO – Neupath Health Inc. and Cynergi Health Partners have signed a memorandum of understanding that could see Cynergi’s virtual reality (VR) software combined with Neupath’s remote pain management platform. The platform is expected to benefit from the therapeutic potential of Austin, Texas-based Cynergi’s Rilaxta VRx to lower patient anxiety and perception of pain as they walk through restful, VR-created landscapes. “We don’t see another group taking a similar, holistic approach to pain management that we are,” Neupath CEO Grant Connelly told BioWorld.

Illumina Inc. and Merck & Co. Inc. are partnering to commercialize tests identifying genetic mutations used in the assessment of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). Patients whose tumors are HRD-positive may be eligible for targeted chemotherapy treatment by a class of precision medicines called PARP inhibitors. The companies will develop tests utilizing Illumina's Trusight Oncology 500 assay for genomic profiling, which is designed to identify 523 known and emerging tumor biomarkers.