The healthcare merger and acquisition market has set a new record in 2015, with more than a month left in the year, according to Norwalk-based Irving Levin Associates Inc., which publishes Health Care M&A News.
More than $549 billion has been spent on healthcare transactions as of this week, according to Irving Levin Associates data. That is 42 percent higher than the previous record set last year, with $387.7 billion spent on 1,312 transactions. So far in 2015, 1,285 deals have been recorded.
The $160 billion mega-merger between Pfizer Inc. and Allergan plc announced this week put the total well over 2014’s total. That deal alone comprises 29 percent of the year’s spending on healthcare transactions. Two other mega-deals, the $54.2 billion Anthem/Cigna deal and $37 billion Aetna/Humana transaction, account for 18 percent of the spending.
“With more than a month to go to the end of 2015, we’re sure to see a new record set for deal volume,” said Lisa E. Phillips, editor of Health Care M&A News. “Another record to note is that 51 transactions of $1 billion or larger have been announced this year, which account for 90 percent of the deal value.”
