Health care M&A spending falls nearly 40% in 2012, lowest year on record since 2003; report

In 2012, dealmakers committed $143.3 billion to finance the year’s activity in the health care merger, acquisition and takeover market. Although sizable, that total represents a 38% decline compared with the $231.0 billion spent in 2011. Last year ranks ninth out of the last 10 years in dollar volume, with only 2003’s $94.2 billion coming in lower, according to a new report from Irving Levin Associates.

In terms of the number of health care deals announced, however, the year was one of the busiest in the past decade, with 1,063 deals, up 5.9% compared with 2011’s 1,004. 2012 ranked second only to 2007, when 1,079 deals were announced. Both the technology and services sectors showed a modest gain in deal volume compared with 2011: the number of deals in the technology sector rose 2.0% and services increased by 8.9%.

Number of biotech deals up