Topic: Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

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Ethical consumerism: a new driver of M&A in the beauty and clothing industries

Simone Nash (Toronto)By Simone Nash (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

In a previous post, we discussed the rise of M&A activity in the meat and dairy sector as consumer tastes change and concern for the environment becomes more widespread.

Industry experts believe that this trend, namely of ethical brands driving M&A, is much broader than the food and beverage space. Beauty, clothing and apparel and other consumer brands focusing on natural and sustainable products are also driving M&A activity. As the 2019 year end rapidly approaches, a reflection on some of these larger trends may shed some light on what may come in 2020.

Beauty and cosmetics

  • The research
… Continue Reading

Health Canada changes cannabis licensing process

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in Cannabis, M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

On May 8, 2019, Health Canada announced that it is introducing changes to its cannabis licensing process, effective immediately. Before the change, an applicant can apply for a cannabis license by submitting paper application to Health Canada without having to build a facility first. Now, a new applicant for licence to cultivate, process or sell cannabis for medical purposes must have fully built a cannabis facility that meets all the regulatory requirements under the Cannabis Regulations at the time of submitting an application.

This change came about after Health Canada reviewed its existing licensing regime, which revealed that a major … Continue Reading

Building the health systems of tomorrow: dealmaking and the future of the life sciences sector

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

EY has recently published a year-in-review report for deal making in the global life sciences industry.  The publication features some interesting statistics about deal activity in the past year, and makes predictions about which trends will carry forward into the 2019 and beyond.

The total value of life sciences deals in 2018 was US $198 billion, which was less than anticipated given that the companies in this space have “total firepower” (i.e., a measure of a company’s capacity to engage in M&A) of over US $1 trillion. According to the results of an executive survey, respondents suggested that high valuations … Continue Reading

Dissecting MedTech M&A deals

Shreya Gupta (Toronto)By Shreya Gupta (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

As we previously reported, this year has seen a surge in healthcare-related M&A. Many of these transactions are in the medical technology industry, or MedTech. While the industry’s healthy profit margins and opportunities for growth have driven a flurry of activity, the potential for large rewards from MedTech acquisitions also comes with unique obstacles:

  • Regulatory compliance: The healthcare industry is heavily regulated, with recent privacy legislation requiring stricter due diligence practices. Medtech companies often collect sensitive user data and in addition to conducting cybersecurity due diligence, buyers must ensure that the target’s data collection policies and practices
… Continue Reading

Grow on! Examining the forces behind increased M&A activity in Canada

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in Cannabis, M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

The Canadian market has seen a surge in M&A activity since 2017 and it looks as though 2018 will follow suit. According to a PwC Canada 2018 M&A mid-year review, in the first half of 2018 alone, Canada hit CAD$93 billion  in M&A activity and outbound deals increased by 8% as compared to the first half of 2017, largely due to a surge in cannabis sector deals. While we have noted this increase previously, recent legislative changes regarding cannabis warrant another look to determine the robustness of this trend. For example, in health-care, overall deal value and deal volume … Continue Reading

A healthy dose of deal-making: M&A trends in the US and Canadian healthcare sector

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

In the first quarter of 2018, M&A activity across the world hit a 17 year record high according to Mergermarket’s Q1 2018 Global M&A Report. This is an 18 percent increase in value compared to the first quarter of 2017. This increase was affected by the surge in deal-making seen at the end of 2017 which carried over into 2018 as the US experienced mega US healthcare deals. In fact, US M&A activity during Q1 2018 was reported to represent 44.2% of the total global share. According to data from Bloomberg, the healthcare sector has already reported $156 billion … Continue Reading

Legal update: M&A in the pharma sector

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

Of counsel James Baillieu explores the pharma M&A horizon in PharmaTimes magazine. The pharma sector saw deal activity fall in 2017 compared to previous years. While the number of deals remained robust, their value was significantly lower due to fewer large acquisitions. Looking ahead, however, many expect deal levels to pick-up as Trump’s tax reforms give US companies increased cash resources to fund acquisitions. Indeed, as of mid-January deals worth over $30 billion have already been announced.

Please check out the article in PharmaTimes for more.

Stay informed on M&A developments and subscribe to our blog today.… Continue Reading

Life sciences M&A in 2018: key strategic considerations

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

A month into the new year, speculation continues regarding the forces that will shape mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for 2018. EY recently released a report (the Report) forecasting possible M&A trends in the life sciences sector. As noted in the Report, while the total volume and value of M&A in the life sciences sector fell in 2017, the value of M&A in medtech increased 50%, driven by the pursuit of economies of scale in the therapeutic device market. Now, with newly implemented policies, such as tax reform in the United States, as well as other favourable … Continue Reading

Private equity investments in healthcare: a look into the future

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

Last year was a record-breaking year for private equity investments in the healthcare industry, with a total disclosed deal value reaching $36.4 billion by the end of 2016. Mid-year reviews of 2017 indicate a downward trend in the number of private equity investments but a significant increase in the value of investments compared to 2016. According to the Global Healthcare Private Equity and Corporate M&A Report 2017 by Bain & Company, investors will want to increase the weight of healthcare in their portfolios given the growing population and increase in demand for healthcare.

With the ongoing regulatory reform and the … Continue Reading

Specificity is key: six archetypes of successful acquisitions

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, Technology and innovation

Canadian M&A activity has continued to rise in 2017, but with the successes come many more stories of failure. Studies indicated that 70% – 90% of acquisitions ultimately fail. How does a company beat these odds? A recent article by McKinsey & Company suggests that companies who enter into acquisitions with a specific value proposition in mind tend to have higher success rates than those with vague, growth strategies. In particular, the authors suggest most successful acquisitions implement one of six strategic models.

Improve the target company’s performance

One acquisition strategy involves purchasing a target company to reduce its costs … Continue Reading

Acquisitions in the life sciences start-up space: a principal-agent problem in the making

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

Earlier this year, Bloom Burton & Co. hosted the 2017 Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference. The conference brings together early stage life sciences companies with professional advisors in the industry for two days of talks given by the companies on what they are trying to accomplish and how they have been progressing. Over the course of the conference, there is a familiar refrain among companies in the drug, processes or technology development space. Frequently, we hear these companies talking about acquiring other intellectual property (be it drugs, processes or technology) for the purposes of “stabilizing their pipeline.” The … Continue Reading

New genetics technologies set to revolutionize life sciences

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

Pharma 680x220Curing diseases by editing a person’s genes or using medicine specifically designed to work with their genetic profile has long been the realm of science fiction. However, new technologies have made this area of “personalized medicine” a hotbed for potential M&A growth.

CRISPR, a new technology already in discussions for a Nobel Prize, is revolutionizing the way science companies operate. So cheap and efficient that almost anyone can use it to alter DNA, CRISPR’s potential to create new and better genetically modified crops has already spurred enormous mergers in the agribusiness space. Now, CRISPR and other genetic technologies … Continue Reading

Private equity trends towards specialization

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in Energy, Intellectual property, M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

Competition has increased in the private equity (PE) market. In the US, PE firms paid a 31% premium for acquisitions in 2016, an eight-year high according to Bloomberg data. There are a growing number of market participants chasing after ever scarcer quality businesses thereby causing price appreciation of businesses. In addition, the availability of low interest debt provides players with the financing to pursue these assets.

A competitive advantage

To remain competitive, there is a growing sentiment that PE firms should look to specialize, which many have already been doing. It can be difficult for PE firms … Continue Reading

Smooth sailing for marijuana start-up streaming deals?

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in Cannabis, M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

On April 13, 2017, the federal government introduced Bill C-45 in the House of Commons. This proposed legislation marks an important step towards the Liberal government’s promise to legalize and regulate the possession, sale, and distribution of cannabis in Canada before July 1, 2018. As the bill currently stands, upon coming into force, Canadians over the age of 18 will be able to legally purchase cannabis from provincially authorized retailers.

While Canadians have been able to access cannabis for medical purposes for some time (and producers have been able to apply to Health Canada for a licence to cultivate … Continue Reading

M&A trends and how to add value in medtech deals

Eliza DinaleBy Eliza Dinale on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, Technology and innovation

touch-screen680x220It is well documented that the medical technology (MedTech) industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors in North America over the past several years. In Ontario alone, there are currently 24,000 employees and over 1,300 companies working in this space. While it is quite healthy (Ontario’s MedTech exports amounted to roughly CAD $1.7 billion), there remains plenty of opportunity to participate in the growth and unlock value.

As KMPG reports, the upward trajectory of this sector shows no signs of wilting, fueled largely by increasing healthcare costs worldwide. With this landscape in mind, Ontario presents … Continue Reading

Strong outlook for pharma and biotech M&A in 2017

Seemal Patel (Toronto)By Seemal Patel (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

While certain sectors experienced a shaky 2016 with respect to M&A activity, deal activity in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries held steady following record levels in 2015 and is expected to perform equally as well in 2017. In Prognosis positive: Pharma and biotech M&A outlook, a recent report by Mergermarket (the Report) on these industries, four experienced dealmakers outlined some of the key factors driving the optimistic outlook for the upcoming year and highlighted some of the deal trends that have emerged over the past few years in these industries.

Replacing declining revenues

According to the Report, the … Continue Reading

Big year on the horizon for big pharma

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

DLW_blog_pillsGlobal M&A activity in the biopharmaceutical industry skyrocketed in 2014 and 2015, eclipsing US$200 billion in deal value each year and prompting EY to declare such elevated activity to be the “new normal” in the industry. After another strong year in 2016, big pharma companies now appear poised to carry this trend into 2017. In fact, according to EY’s M&A Outlook and Firepower Report 2017 (the Firepower Report), both the pressures on big pharmaceutical companies to pursue inorganic growth, and the ability of these companies to execute strategic acquisitions, are higher than they have been at any … Continue Reading

2017 M&A outlook

Sean Williamson (Toronto)By Sean Williamson (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

Business peopleAs 2016 draws to a close, Ernst & Young has released its 15th edition of its Global Capital Confidence Barometer (the GCCB), which looks forward toward the trends and expectations in the M&A market for 2017. The GCCB is survey of more than 1,700 senior executives, including 52 Canadian executives, from large global companies located in 45 countries around the world, representing 18 industry sectors.

This past year was an active time for M&A and according to the GCCB, this trend will continue into the new year. In total, 57% of all executives surveyed plan to make acquisitions … Continue Reading

Outlook on healthcare sector M&A: the next 12 months

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

Previously on this blog, we reported that M&A activity in the healthcare sector was expected to rise during 2016. According to a Market Spotlight released earlier this fall by Mergermarket in partnership with RR Donnelley, dealmakers and professionals are maintaining this positive outlook. The Market Spotlight sheds light on the subsectors of the healthcare industry that are likely to experience growth, and the specific deal drivers that are expected to spur M&A activity.

In particular, the Market Spotlight identified digital health as the subsector of the industry most likely to flourish over the next year. Already, we have seen M&A … Continue Reading

President Elect and M&A: a cross roads or business as usual?

Nader Hasan (Toronto)By Nader Hasan (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

can-us-680x220The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States adds to a cascade of political events that have surprised observers and may have profound effects on global flows of people, capital, and goods.

While nothing is set in stone, Donald Trump and his administration have led us to believe that they are contemplating significant changes to areas that may, indeed, have an effect on North American M&A.

A new American protectionism?

Trump campaigned on a promise to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which he has called “the single worst trade deal ever approved … Continue Reading

A global overview of M&A activity: August 2016

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in Energy, Infrastructure, mining and commodities, M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, Technology and innovation

World MapMergerMarket Group recently published its September edition of Monthly M&A Insider which reported on mergers and acquisitions activity around the world for the month of August 2016. More than two thirds into the year, August was no exception to the recent rather sluggish growth in M&A activity, especially compared to the record-breaking year for M&A in 2015.

Global M&A

August saw a total of 946 deals worth US$182.2bn, the lowest-valued August since 2013 (US$152.7bn) and down 34.7% from August 2015’s US$278.9bn. The Energy, Mining & Utilities sector spearheaded activity by contributing 15.8% to the total global market share with 84 … Continue Reading

M&A activity in the healthcare sector is on the rise

Troy Ungerman (Toronto)By Troy Ungerman (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, Technology and innovation

M&A activity in the healthcare industry has been on an upwards trend since our last update. Good Foundations: Building Healthcare M&A and Real Estate, a report by Mergermarket on deal-making trends in the industry, found that about 90% of the respondents expect healthcare M&A to rise over the next year. The value of healthcare deals in North America increased by 28% and reached a total of US$298 billion in 2015.

The North American healthcare industry is rapidly evolving and demanding that companies innovate to stay relevant. Several fundamental shifts, such as the move from fee-for-service to value-based care, … Continue Reading

M&A prospects in the healthcare industry

Sean Williamson (Toronto)By Sean Williamson (Toronto) on Posted in M&A, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences

RR Donnelley’s August 2016 VENUE Market Spotlight focused on the healthcare industry and the prospects for M&A activity in that space over the next 12 months. The report notes that there were 678 healthcare transactions in the first half of 2016 with an aggregate value of US$171.3 billion globally. These figures represent declines of 5% and 6%, respectively, from the same period in 2015, though they are up significantly from 2014, and respondents to the survey indicated that they expect investments in digital health, biotechnology and medical devices to increase in the future.

According to the report, global factors driving … Continue Reading

M&A in the life sciences sector remains healthy

By Sara Josselyn (Toronto) on Posted in Corporate finance, Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, Tax

In December 2015, we reported on the record-setting M&A activity in the life sciences sector in 2015. In a post last month, we also reported on a recent surge in M&A deals in the pharmaceutical industry, including $40 billion worth of deals announced in one day. Now, a recent report by EY suggests that while the flurry of M&A activity may be tapering off, company expectations remain high with respect to future deals in the life sciences industry.

In particular, the report notes that 45% of life sciences executives surveyed are still expecting to pursue acquisitions over the … Continue Reading

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