$260.2 billion-worth of deals in the global PMB industry in first-half 2014

Global pharma, medical and biotechnology (PMB) M&A activity during the first half of 2014 hit the highest half-year value on Mergermarket record (since 2001), with $260.2 billion-worth of deals, a 227.8% increase from first-half 2013 ($79.4 billion).

The value so far in 2014 is already higher than the annual value for the last eight years. The second quarter, which saw the announcement of 277 deals valued at $195 billion, increased values by 199.5% from the like 2013 quarter ($65.1 billion) and by 199% from the previous quarter ($65.2 billion).

The massive increase is mainly due to the announcement of six mega-deals so far this year amounting to a combined total of $156.9 billion, versus two announced in first-half 2013 totalling just $27.4 billion. The mega-deals all accounted for 60.3% of the total activity in the sector. The top two deals, each valued over $45 billion, represent the fifth and sixth highest valued PMB deal record.

PMB, which was only the fifth most active sector in first-quarter 2014 as well as in first-half last year, was the most active sector globally and accounted for 16.4% of the global M&A value ($1,582.9 billion), a stark contrast to a 7.9% market share in first-half 2013, according to the Mergermarket report.