Q1 2024 Posts Big M&A Total Led By Novo Holdings’ Catalent Takeout

The $16.5bn deal, intended to increase Novo Nordisk’s production of semaglutide-containing products, led a $36bn-plus quarter for M&A transactions, according to Evaluate.

MT1809_M-A Merger
Novo Holdings' acquisition of Catalent led the Q1 M&A activity

Merger-and-acquisition activity during the first quarter of 2024 was not likely to match the bustling pace of Q4 2023, when the aggregate dollar amount committed to acquisitions topped $52bn and nearly tripled the spend recorded during the previous quarter, but the first quarter did see strong M&A activity, with more than $36bn in total spend. Seven biopharma acquisitions valued at more than $1bn up front were recorded during Q1, including one above the $10bn mark.

All told, the $36.46bn in M&A upfront spending during the quarter was the fifth-highest quarterly total that Evaluate recorded since...

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