For an industry often characterized by its mega mergers of the late 2000s,
it's no surprise that biopharma aggregate total M&A spend was in a six-year
slump that reached a low point in 2012, according to figures released by
Deloitte last year.
And in 2012, PriceWaterhouseCooper found deal spend was essentially flat
(+1%). Now, a new PwC report shows that the downturn in spend may have been
reversed in 2013.
According to data provided to PwC by Thomson Reuters, the pharmaceutical
life science (PLS) industries (biotech, pharma, devices and diagnostics) saw
deal value increase by $45 billion in 2013—a 45.8% increase from 2012.
The jump was helped by first-quarter deals like AbbVie's IPO and Pfizer's spin-off of its animal health segment, Zoetis. Pharma and life science IPOs overall
were on the rise, too, with value up 11% and volume up 4% compared to 2012.
Two highlights from last year also propelled deal value: