Biopharma deal value surged in May to $18.76 billion, up 23% from April's $15.28 billion. This increase follows March’s $8.29 billion and February’s $7.76 billion, although represents a decline from January’s $27.9 billion. The monthly average for 2024 stands at $15.64 billion, compared to the $18.14 billion monthly average in 2023. Meanwhile, the value of biopharma M&As rose to $4.75 billion in May, an increase from April’s $1.33 billion, which was the lowest figure in nearly a year.

In May, the value of med-tech deals dropped to $85.78 million, marking a 50% decrease from April's $172.37 million but exceeding March's $27 million. The monthly average for deal value in 2024 now stands at $129.7 million, an 84% decline compared to the 2023 monthly average of $886.13 million.

The BioWorld Drug Developers Index (BDDI) mirrored the movements of the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, up in May after a decline at the end of April. BDDI ended May up 1.82% after closing in April down 4.8% from the beginning of the year.

In 2023, med-tech deals culminated in the highest total deal value ever recorded by BioWorld MedTech, totaling $10.63 billion, a 33% increase from the $7.99 billion recorded in 2022.

The med-tech industry has maintained its financing momentum into May, with the first five months of 2024 raising $12.7 billion, marking a 42% increase from $8.95 billion during the same period in 2023. Notably, May alone saw $5.05 billion in total med-tech financings, a 307% rise from $1.24 billion in April, and the highest monthly total reported by BioWorld MedTech since November 2022.

Biopharma financings rebounded in May, reaching $9.15 billion and marking a 48% increase from $6.18 billion in April. However, value is down from the $13.84 billion in financings seen in March and $22.3 billion in February. This year’s monthly average of $12.52 billion reflects an 112% increase from the average of $5.91 billion per month in 2023.

In 2024, the value of biopharma nonprofit deals is tracking slightly higher than the previous year, but still significantly lower than the value seen in prior years. Meanwhile, grants to biopharma firms have dropped by more than 50% compared to last year’s monthly average. The U.S. Department of Defense emerged as the leading grant issuer to biopharma firms, and also saw the highest-value nonprofit deal in the sector.

Following a significant decline in 2023, private investments in public equity (PIPEs) are rebounding strongly in 2024. Through late May, the collective value of PIPEs has already surpassed the full year 2023 by more than three times, and is also ahead of 2022.

In April 2024, BioWorld reported on 323 updates on phase I-III clinical trials, marking a 24% increase from March’s 261 updates.

The med-tech sector experienced some relief in the first quarter of 2024 (1Q24) as total financings climbed to $6.38 billion, eclipsing the value of any quarter in 2023. For perspective, the final quarter of 2023 recorded $3.32 billion, and 1Q23 raised $4.69 billion, with an average of $4.42 billion in financings per quarter in 2023.