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Healthcare News, Deals, and Investments Update November 2nd, 2026

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Healthcare Weekly News and Deals

  1. Ferring Pharmaceuticals agrees to acquire Insight Partners-backed Gameto for up to $1.38 billion, adding Fertilo, stem cell-based IVF platform, to its reproductive medicine portfolio. Privately held Swiss drugmaker Ferring Pharmaceuticals signed an agreement to acquire Gameto in a deal valued at up to $1.3825 billion. The companies did not say how the price splits between upfront and contingent payments. The total depends on development, regulatory and commercial milestones, and the two will operate independently until closing. Gameto has raised about $127 million since its 2020 founding from backers including Insight Partners. At the full headline value, that is a return of roughly 11x paid-in capital. Fertilo uses stem cell-derived ovarian support cells to mature eggs outside the body, which could shorten IVF cycles to about three days. It is cleared in Australia and parts of Latin America and is in U.S. Phase 3 testing. (Link)
  2. RadNet (NASDAQ: RDNT) agrees to acquire Housatonic Partners-backed ONRAD for $350 million in cash, 5 million shares and an earnout of up to $210 million, entering hospital-based teleradiology. RadNet (NASDAQ: RDNT) signed a definitive agreement on October 26 to buy ONRAD, a teleradiology and in-hospital radiology staffing provider owned by Housatonic Partners. ONRAD shareholders receive $350 million in cash and 5 million RadNet shares at closing. An earnout of up to $210 million is tied to 2027 EBITDA and is payable in cash or stock at RadNet’s election. ONRAD supports more than 225 hospital facilities in 26 states through over 130 contracted radiologists. It has grown revenue 10–20% annually with Adjusted EBITDA margins above 30%. RadNet expects $190–200 million of revenue and $60–65 million of Adjusted EBITDA in year one. ONRAD will anchor a new Radiology Professional Services segment, and closing is expected in early 2027. (Link)
  3. Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ: MMSI) acquires the remaining ~82% of Solo Pace for about $45 million, adding TAVR temporary pacing systems to its cardiac therapies platform. Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ: MMSI) disclosed on October 30 that it had bought all remaining equity in Minneapolis-based Solo Pace on October 13, for purchase consideration of about $45 million. The deal turns a staged strategic investment into full ownership. Between January 2023 and December 2025, Merit paid $5 million for roughly 18% of Solo Pace, an option to buy the rest on commercialization milestones, and exclusive distribution rights. Solo Pace makes the SOLO PACE CONTROL and FUSION temporary pacing systems for TAVR and other transcatheter valve procedures. (Link)
  4. Privia Health (NASDAQ: PRVA) acquires the American Choice Healthcare MSSP business from Cano Health for about $36 million, adding 36,000 attributed lives to its value-based footprint. Privia Health, based in Arlington, Virginia, is a national physician-enablement company that organizes independent practices into value-based networks. It works with more than 5,000 providers across roughly 1,300 practices in 24 states, supporting more than 5 million patients. Its ACOs, operating under Privia Care Partners, generated $233 million in shared savings in the 2024 Medicare Shared Savings Program year. American Choice Healthcare was the MSSP subsidiary of Cano Health, a Florida-based senior primary care company that went through Chapter 11 in 2024 and emerged private. The ACO joins Privia Care Partners and will care for more than 36,000 Medicare lives starting in 2027. (Link)
  5. Davion Healthcare (NASDAQ: DAVI) agrees to acquire Philadelphia’s Healthcare Stat Homecare for $13.5 million in cash and stock, the first in a planned series of acquisitions of profitable healthcare businesses. Dublin-based Davion Healthcare (NASDAQ: DAVI), a developer of non-invasive health monitoring technologies, agreed on October 27 to buy Healthcare Stat Homecare (HSH), a Philadelphia home health provider. The $13.5 million price comprises $8 million in cash and $5.5 million in Davion shares at an agreed $13 per share. HSH reported about $11.6 million of 2025 gross receipts and $1.9 million of ordinary business income, both unaudited. That implies roughly 1.2x receipts and 7x income. HSH provides skilled nursing, home health aide and rehabilitation services and is Medicare and Medicaid certified. Davion calls it the first of a year-long program to acquire profitable healthcare businesses, with completion expected by December 31, 2026. (Link)
  6. Pelthos Therapeutics (NYSE American: PTHS) to combine with Castle Creek Biosciences in an all-stock merger worth 5.2 million shares upfront, plus up to 5.8 million contingent shares and $300 million in milestones. Durham, North Carolina-based Pelthos Therapeutics (NYSE American: PTHS) agreed on October 30 to merge with Exton, Pennsylvania-based Castle Creek Biosciences. Castle Creek shareholders receive 5.2 million Pelthos shares at closing, about 32.5% of fully diluted shares. They can also receive up to 5.8 million more shares on FDA approval of D-Fi, and up to $300 million in cash milestones, including $50 million on hitting Phase 3 endpoints. They also get 80% of the proceeds from any priority review voucher. D-Fi is a redosable gene-modified cell therapy for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. It holds Orphan Drug, Fast Track and RMAT designations, with a continued Phase 3 study planned. Castle Creek gets two of ten board seats, and closing is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2027. (Link)
  7. Leonard Green & Partners acquires Radon Medical Imaging, a West Virginia imaging equipment service organization, from 5th Century Partners. Los Angeles-based Leonard Green & Partners bought Radon Medical Imaging from 5th Century Partners (5CP) on October 27; terms were not disclosed. Radon was founded in 1976 and is based in Charleston, West Virginia. It is an independent service organization that services, repairs and sells new and refurbished imaging equipment, including MRI, PET/CT, mammography, cath lab, C-arm and X-ray systems. Its customers are hospitals, clinics and outpatient facilities. Radon expanded from five states to 26, grew past 220 employees and completed four add-ons: Premier Imaging, Tristate Biomedical, Alpha Imaging and Majestic Medical Solutions. Leonard Green gets a scaled platform in a fragmented imaging-service market. (Link)
  8. Mainsail Partners-backed ChiroHD acquires ChiroBilling, adding native billing and revenue cycle management to its chiropractic EHR platform serving more than 2,000 clinics. Atlanta-based ChiroHD announced on October 22 that it had acquired ChiroBilling, an outsourced chiropractic billing company with a 30-person team; terms were not disclosed. Growth equity firm Mainsail Partners, which invests in bootstrapped B2B software companies, put $26 million into ChiroHD in April 2025 to fund AI-led product development and customer support. The deal adds an established revenue cycle team and its customers instead of building billing in-house. The two companies already jointly serve more than 100 clinics. ChiroBilling CEO Shannon Berg becomes president of a new ChiroBilling division. The rationale is collections leakage: chiropractors collected about 62 cents per billed dollar in 2025, down from 71 cents. (Link)
  9. Ares Management (NYSE: ARES)-backed Duly Health and Care acquires Fox Valley Imaging, an independent outpatient imaging center in Naperville, Illinois. Duly Health and Care acquired Fox Valley Imaging, according to an October 27 release; terms were not disclosed. Duly is the Downers Grove, Illinois multispecialty physician group owned by Ares Management (NYSE: ARES) and Athyrium Capital Management since 2017. Fox Valley has served Naperville for more than 30 years with MRI, MRA, CT, ultrasound, echocardiography, video fluoroscopy and X-ray. Duly plans to add mammography and DEXA at the site. That expands its outpatient imaging network in Chicago’s western suburbs and keeps more ancillary imaging volume inside its own system. Duly has more than 1,000 primary and specialty care providers across 150+ locations. The add-on extends Ares’ buy-and-build of one of the largest independent physician groups in the Midwest. (Link)
  10. Platform Partners-backed Principle Health Systems acquires mobile imaging assets in the St. Louis market, extending bedside diagnostics for long-term care facilities into Missouri and Illinois. Houston-based Principle Health Systems announced on October 30 that it had acquired select assets of an unnamed mobile diagnostic imaging company serving greater St. Louis; terms were not disclosed. Houston private investment firm Platform Partners invested in Principle in January 2023, with the founders keeping majority ownership. The deal brings imaging technologists, mobile equipment and established facility relationships. It adds bedside X-ray, ultrasound and EKG for long-term care operators in Missouri and Illinois. It follows a string of add-ons under Platform Partners: BioStat Laboratory in 2023, BioStat Imaging and Telos PGX in 2024, and Heartland Health Laboratory in 2025, plus a June 2026 asset purchase. Together they build a single-source mobile lab and imaging platform for long-term care. (Link)
  11. HealthEdge Investment Partners-backed Western Microsurgical acquires Q Surgical and Proficient Surgical, expanding its surgical microscope platform to 18 states. Denver-based Western Microsurgical (WMS), a HealthEdge Investment Partners portfolio company, announced two acquisitions on October 27; terms were not disclosed. Q Surgical serves hospitals and ASCs in Northern California and Nevada, and Proficient Surgical serves the Northeast. The owners of both sellers rolled meaningful equity into the combined company and stay active in operations. WMS is an independent manufacturer’s representative and service organization for Leica Microsystems. It also took over a Leica sales and service contract previously held by Shawnee Medical in two states. The combined business now covers 18 states. That advances HealthEdge’s plan to build a national surgical microscopy platform through partnerships with experienced regional operators. (Link)
  12. Svoboda Capital Partners partners with 120/80 Health Group, a founder-led healthcare and life sciences communications consultancy. 120/80 Health Group, founded in 2018, started as a digital health communications firm and has grown into a strategic consultancy for healthcare and life sciences. In 2024 it restructured as a holding company with two brands: 120/80, focused on digital health, and AOx3, based in Silicon Valley and New York, for companies applying technology and AI to health. Svoboda Capital Partners, founded in 1998, is a lower-middle-market private equity firm focused on professional services, industrial and commercial services, and transportation. The partnership lets 120/80 reinvest in its team and expand its service offerings. Prosper Group advised 120/80. (Link)
  13. GrowthCurve Capital makes a majority investment in TailorMed, the medication access and affordability platform spanning 950 hospitals and 4,700 clinics. TailorMed connects patients, providers, pharmacies and life sciences companies across more than 3,100 pharmacies and 6,000 support programs. It has supported 75 million patients and secured $7.4 billion in financial assistance since 2020. The capital will fund product work and expansion of its AI-powered solutions. Leerink Partners and TripleTree advised. (Link)
  14. InTandem Capital Partners completes a strategic growth investment in Atlas Health, the AI-powered patient affordability platform for hospitals and health systems. New York-based healthcare investor InTandem Capital Partners closed a growth investment in Atlas Health on October 29; terms were not disclosed. Founder and CEO Ethan Davidoff and the management team stay on as significant shareholders. Atlas was founded in 2017. It uses its agentic AI, Ava, and EHR integrations to match and enroll patients in coverage and financial assistance programs, which raises reimbursement and cuts uncompensated care for providers. InTandem’s thesis is that patient affordability is moving from a back-office task to a front-line revenue recovery tool as coverage erodes and specialty drug costs climb. The capital will fund product initiatives and expansion into specialty pharmacies. It follows InTandem’s December 2025 investment in The Phia Group. (Link)
  15. GTCR- and Heritage Group-backed Equiti acquires Lexi AI, pairing healthcare AI interpretation with its Martti human medical interpreter network. Equiti, the Sunrise, Florida-based healthcare language access company, acquired Lexi AI on October 28; terms were not disclosed. GTCR, with Heritage Group and lender Monroe Capital, bought the business from UpHealth for $180 million in November 2023. It was then combined with Voyce and rebranded as Equiti. Lexi was founded by Linh Pham and Siddharth UR and won the 2025 Harvard Business School New Venture Competition social enterprise grand prize. It provides AI interpretation in more than 35 languages, with EHR and phone integrations. Equiti’s Martti platform offers 24/7 qualified medical interpreters in 250+ languages. The add-on gives the sponsors an AI tier to sell alongside human interpretation. (Link)
  16. The Riverside Company adds CSB Nutrition to its Western Botanicals / WB Blends supplements manufacturing platform, expanding capsule and powder capacity. Western Botanicals is a vitamins, minerals, and supplements contract manufacturer founded in 1996. It has more than 200 employees and over 200,000 square feet across three facilities, and its products are sold through channels including Walmart, Amazon, Target, Vitamin Shoppe, and Costco. The Riverside Company acquired it in February 2026 and later added Yellow Emperor, a liquid specialist. CSB Nutrition, also based in Spanish Fork and founded in 2001 by Al Call, Craig Shields, and Jeff Bancroft, is a full-service VMS CDMO with roughly 60 to 200 employees and a cGMP, NSF-certified, FDA-registered facility of more than 100,000 square feet. It serves major VMS brands and also works in sports nutrition, personal care, and pet care. Together with WB Blends and Yellow Emperor, the platform now covers capsules, powders, and liquids in one place, including stick packs and gusseted bags. Riverside has made more than 40 platform investments under its health, longevity, and flavor thesis. (Link)
  17. US WorldMeds acquires Orbus Therapeutics, backed by Longitude Capital, H.I.G. HealthBridge, Abingworth, Adams Street Partners and Agent Capital, to advance eflornithine in recurrent Grade 3 astrocytoma. Louisville, Kentucky-based US WorldMeds acquired Menlo Park, California-based Orbus Therapeutics on October 27. It made an undisclosed upfront payment, with development, regulatory and sales milestones plus tiered U.S. royalties to follow. That gives Orbus’s investors an exit with continued upside: Longitude Capital, H.I.G. HealthBridge, Abingworth, Adams Street Partners and Agent Capital. In the Phase 3 STELLAR trial, Orbus’s oral eflornithine missed its primary overall-survival endpoint across all patients. However, a subset defined before unblinding, patients with IDH-mutant Grade 3 astrocytoma, showed median overall survival of 34.9 months versus 23.5 months. The program holds FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation. US WorldMeds already markets eflornithine as IWILFIN for high-risk neuroblastoma and plans to discuss a path forward with the FDA. (Link)
  18. Water Street Healthcare Partners- and JLL Partners-backed EVERSANA acquires Estima Scientific, adding AI-powered health economics and outcomes research tools to its life sciences commercialization platform. Estima, a London firm founded in 2019, pairs specialist consulting with proprietary generative-AI applications for economic modeling, systematic literature reviews and network meta-analysis. Its tools have been used by large pharma and by the U.K.’s NICE. EVERSANA will fold the capability into its market access and value-and-evidence offerings; co-founders Tim Reason and Andy Gimblett join the EVERSANA team. (Link)
  19. Azenta (NASDAQ: AZTA) acquires SynPlexity and signs an exclusive license with Elegen to expand its GENEWIZ gene synthesis business. Burlington, Massachusetts-based Azenta (NASDAQ: AZTA) announced two deals on October 30; terms were not disclosed. It acquired SynPlexity, a synthetic biology company that makes high-throughput pooled gene libraries, and signed an exclusive license for Elegen’s cell-free DNA manufacturing platform. SynPlexity’s pooled assembly technology produces thousands of full-length gene variants in a single library. That lets researchers build and test large numbers of candidates, including AI-generated designs. Elegen’s platform aims for higher DNA quality, faster delivery and compact production lines that can be sited near customers. Both strengthen GENEWIZ, Azenta’s sequencing and gene synthesis unit, in synthetic biology, protein engineering and AI-enabled drug discovery. Azenta will give more detail on its fiscal Q4 2026 earnings call. (Link)
  20. Peak Rock Capital-backed HuFriedyGroup signs an agreement to acquire the dental business of Italy’s Mectron, adding piezoelectric surgery, ultrasonic scaling and air-polishing systems to its global dental portfolio. HuFriedyGroup is a global maker of dental instruments, infection prevention products, and instrument management systems. Founded in 1908, it has roughly 1,500 employees, more than 10,000 products, and distribution in about 100 countries under brands including Hu-Friedy, Crosstex, Omnia, Accutron, and SS White. Peak Rock acquired it from Steris in 2024 for roughly $788 million. Mectron, founded in 1979 in Carasco, Italy, pioneered piezoelectric bone surgery with the launch of PIEZOSURGERY in 2001. It has about 250 employees and operates in more than 70 countries. The deal covers Mectron’s dental operations in Italy, the non-medical activities of its German subsidiary, and the dental activities of Piezosurgery Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. Mectron keeps its medical business. Manufacturing stays in Carasco under a multi-year supply agreement, so HuFriedyGroup gains the technology and commercial reach without disrupting production. (Link)
  21. NeckWise acquires Western Carolina Chiropractic, adding an Asheville practice to its upper cervical chiropractic network. NeckWise is a growing multi-state network of upper cervical chiropractic offices founded in 2024 by Dr. Drew Hall, Dr. Matt Morris, and Dr. Rusty Lavender. The group focuses exclusively on the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) vertebrae, using in-office cone beam CT imaging and gentle, no-twist adjustments rather than traditional full-spine manipulation. It has offices across Florida, including the Tampa Bay area, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Riverview, and in the Salt Lake City area of Utah. The Asheville practice’s Dr. Michael DiNunzio stays on. The location will add in-office 3D cone beam imaging, consistent with NeckWise’s standard across its network. (Link)
  22. Baystate Health integrates Baystate Mercy Hospital and its affiliates into its system, adding a Springfield hospital and 45 medical group entities. Baystate Health is a not-for-profit integrated system serving more than 800,000 people across western Massachusetts. It has roughly 13,000 employees, five hospitals, and more than 900 beds, with roots dating to the founding of Springfield Hospital in 1883. Baystate Medical Center is a 780-bed academic medical center and a teaching site of UMass Chan Medical School. Mercy Medical Center, previously part of Trinity Health of New England, faced financial pressures that put its long-term viability at risk. The $300 million integration covers Baystate Mercy and its joint venture affiliates, along with 45 medical group entities. Emergency department staffing moves to Baystate’s board-certified faculty, and the Sister Caritas Cancer Center joins Baystate’s cancer program. The systems are also unifying on an Oracle Health EHR. (Link)
  23. PsychPlus acquires California-based Precision Psychiatric Services, adding more than 100 psychiatrists and hospital partnerships to its technology-enabled mental health platform. Houston-based PsychPlus announced on October 23 that it had acquired Precision Psychiatric Services, a physician-led psychiatric group founded in 2018; terms were not disclosed. Precision brings more than 100 psychiatrists and hospital partnerships across California. Its hybrid in-person and telepsychiatry model covers emergency departments, inpatient units, consultation-liaison, outpatient and addiction settings. The deal follows PsychPlus’s acquisition of digital therapeutics developer Koa Health. Together they form a roll-up spanning prevention through hospital-based care. PsychPlus already works with more than 200 hospital systems and reports reach of over 6 million people. (Link)

Venture Deals and Other

  1. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) leads Pathos AI’s $237 million Series E at a roughly $3 billion post-money valuation, with existing investors participating. New York-based Pathos AI closed a $237 million Series E on October 23 at a post-money valuation of about $3 billion. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) led and existing investors participated. BMS’s check comes with a strategic deal: non-exclusive access to Pathos’s Foundry agentic AI platform across its R&D portfolio, and three-year exclusive rights in neuroscience. Pathos will also license a neurological-disease dataset from Tempus AI (NASDAQ: TEM) under a five-year, $55 million agreement. Proceeds will scale Foundry and advance four clinical oncology assets. The priority is JSKN-016, a TROP2/HER3 bispecific ADC heading toward registrational studies. The others are pocenbrodib, AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN)-partnered AZD4241 and MET inhibitor DO-2. (Link)
  2. Avego leads Opentrons Labworks’ $40 million Series E, with BroadOak Capital Partners participating, to scale lab robotics and AI-driven autonomous science. Opentrons Labworks raised a $40 million Series E on October 30. Healthcare investor Avego led, with additional investment from BroadOak Capital Partners; valuation was not disclosed. Opentrons has deployed more than 11,000 lab automation robots in over 80 countries to academic groups, diagnostic labs and global pharma companies. Avego’s thesis is that drug developers and AI companies are moving to automated workflows that generate machine-usable data, and that these workflows will converge on Opentrons’ platform. Proceeds will fund AI-driven experiment execution, faster protocol development, broader instrument capabilities, deeper integration with other lab-automation tools, and expansion into new markets. Earlier this year Opentrons began using Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) Isaac and Cosmos to generate physical-AI training data. (Link)
  3. Threshold Ventures leads Vera Health’s $28.5 million Series A, with Mantis VC, SV Angel, Y Combinator and Gradient participating, bringing total funding to $32 million. San Francisco-based Vera Health announced a $28.5 million Series A on October 27 led by Threshold Ventures. New investors Mantis VC and SV Angel joined, and existing backers Y Combinator and Gradient tripled down, bringing total funding to $32 million. The investor case is capital efficiency. With 12 employees, Vera’s evidence-graded clinical decision support tool grew from a few thousand to more than 800,000 clinicians in 190 countries in a year, mostly through word of mouth. It has been the world’s most downloaded clinical app every month since June and reaches about one in four physicians in Spain and Italy. Funds will build evidence infrastructure, enter new markets and deepen medical-society partnerships such as ACEP. (Link)
  4. Metis MedTech leads StimCardio’s oversubscribed $30 million Series A, with Catalyst Health Ventures and corporate strategic investors participating, to fund a pivotal trial of its wearable atrial fibrillation therapy. StimCardio closed an oversubscribed $30 million Series A on October 29. It was led by Metis MedTech, the family office of John Slump, with Catalyst Health Ventures, several unnamed corporate strategic investors and new and existing backers participating. Slump’s prior exits include Farapulse and Atraverse Medical, more than $1.25 billion in combined deal value. He and Catalyst managing partner Joshua Phillips sit on the board. The round funds the NeuroPulse 2 pivotal study and an FDA De Novo submission for Rhyvive. Rhyvive is a wrist-worn nerve stimulator designed to reduce atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation, where 30–40% of patients relapse. It follows positive sham-controlled NeuroPulse 1 data published in Heart Rhythm. (Link)
  5. Valtruis leads Midstream Health’s $20 million Series A, with Andreessen Horowitz, Foundry and CommonSpirit Ventures participating, to scale AI financial operations for health systems. San Francisco-based Midstream Health raised a $20 million Series A on October 29 led by Valtruis. Andreessen Horowitz, Foundry and CommonSpirit Ventures continued to participate, bringing total funding to $29.2 million. Midstream’s AI agents check health-system contracts, claims, purchasing and pharmacy data against live transactions. They recover missed rebates, unenforced pricing terms and payer underpayments. Its customers represent more than $100 billion of annual operating expenses and over 250 hospitals. They include CommonSpirit Health, Mount Sinai and Houston Methodist, plus new clients Fairview Health Services and Keck Medicine of USC. Midstream has found 1,500+ recovery opportunities this year and is on pace for $100 million of client savings by year-end. (Link)
  6. Headline leads ClarityCare’s oversubscribed $16.5 million Series A, with Arthur Ventures, FJ Labs, Maverick, firstminute, Top Harvest Capital and Transpose Platform participating. ClarityCare announced an oversubscribed $16.5 million Series A on October 26, bringing total funding to nearly $20 million. Headline led, with new investors Arthur Ventures and FJ Labs and existing backers Maverick, firstminute, Top Harvest Capital and Transpose Platform. ClarityCare is an AI services company for health plans. Its Electra agent reviews authorization requests against clinical guidelines and member benefits and keeps a full audit trail. It can approve or escalate a request but never issues a denial, which reduces exposure as AI-driven denials draw scrutiny. Electra now handles requests end to end, from fax intake through case creation to outbound letters. The funding will go to hiring, new products and expansion into the government sector. (Link)
  7. Deerfield Management leads Setara Biosciences’ $90 million Series A, with Canaan, Droia Ventures, EcoR1, Euclidean Capital, Regeneron Ventures and Jazz Pharmaceuticals participating. Setara was formed after Jazz acquired Actio Biosciences for its lead epilepsy program. The new company takes the rest of Actio’s genetics-driven pipeline, led by the TRPV4 inhibitor STAR-0871 (formerly ABS-0871) for Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2C and overactive bladder. David Goldstein, former Actio CEO, leads Setara. (Link)
  8. Camino Partners, founded by KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky, invests $62 million in Intake Breathing, the maker of a magnetic nasal dilator system. This is Intake’s first institutional capital and Camino’s largest investment. The Santa Barbara company has sold more than 100 million pairs of its breathing tabs and is approaching $100 million in annual revenue. Capital goes to team growth, retail expansion and scaling the consumer wellness brand. (Link)
  9. Viatris (NASDAQ: VTRS) launches its $36.50-per-share cash tender offer for Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ: PCRX), valuing the non-opioid pain management company at about $1.46 billion. Viatris (NASDAQ: VTRS) started a cash tender offer on October 30, through its subsidiary Peach Purchaser Sub, for all outstanding shares of Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ: PCRX). The price is $36.50 per share, about $1.46 billion in equity value. The offer follows a merger agreement signed October 8, and Pacira’s board unanimously recommends that shareholders tender. It expires at the end of November 16 unless extended. Closing requires a majority of shares to be tendered and antitrust clearance; there is no financing condition. A second-step merger under Delaware Section 251(h) will follow without a shareholder vote. The deal adds Pacira’s non-opioid pain franchise, led by EXPAREL, to Viatris’ branded portfolio. (Link)
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Healthcare News, Deals, and Investments Update May 18th, 2026

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  1. Boston Scientific Announces $1.5 billion Strategic Investment in MiRus LLC Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced a $1.5 billion strategic investment for an approximately 34% equity stake in MiRus LLC, a privately held company developing proprietary biomaterials, implants, and procedural solutions for cardiovascular and orthopedic diseases. Announced May 18, 2026, the agreement includes an exclusive option to acquire MiRus’ SIEGEL™ Balloon Expandable TAVR system, with potential additional payments of up to $3 billion upon clinical and regulatory milestones. The nickel-free, rhenium-alloy valve features a smaller delivery sheath, precise placement, and promising early clinical results in the ongoing STAR pivotal trial. The investment strengthens Boston Scientific’s interventional cardiology portfolio in the rapidly growing aortic stenosis market. (Link)
  2. J.P. Morgan, KKR, BofA Securities, and Barclays led the $478.7 million initial public offering of GMR Solutions (NYSE: GMRS) at a revised price of $15 per share GMR Solutions (NYSE: GMRS), the largest provider of emergency medical services in the U.S., priced its IPO at $15 per share, raising $478.7 million. The offering was led by a major syndicate including J.P. Morgan and KKR, with the latter also providing a $500 million concurrent private placement to bolster the company’s balance sheet. GMR Solutions plans to use the IPO proceeds primarily to pay down its existing debt. Despite the offering price being lowered from initial expectations, the IPO values the company at approximately $3.4 billion. The deal highlights significant institutional interest in the stabilization and growth potential of essential emergency and transport healthcare services. (Link)
  3. Prestige Consumer Healthcare (NYSE:PBH) Announces Acquisition of LaCorium Health Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire LaCorium Health, a leading Australian platform in therapeutic skin care, lip, foot, and skin treatments. Announced May 13–14, 2026 alongside fiscal results, the approximately $150 million cash deal adds a high-growth, asset-light international OTC portfolio with strong market positions and expected double-digit revenue growth. The acquisition enhances Prestige’s dermatological offerings and geographic diversification. (Link)
  4. Lumexa Imaging (NASD: LMRI) executed its growth strategy by adding four new centers through joint ventures with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Advocate Health Lumexa Imaging the addition of four new locations in 2026, advancing its strategy to expand in high-growth markets via strategic partnerships. The expansion includes entry into the Pennsylvania market through a joint venture with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and further growth in the Southeast with Advocate Health. These additions, consisting of two acquisitions and two de novo centers, bring Lumexa’s total to over 190 outpatient imaging centers. The company leverages these joint ventures for capital efficiency and repeatability, focusing on the sustained shift toward outpatient, lower-cost sites of care driven by an aging population. (Link)
  5. Coastal Medical Transportation Systems Acquires Alert Ambulance to Expand New England Regional Care Network Coastal Medical Transportation Systems (CMTS), a leading privately owned medical transportation provider in New England, has completed the acquisition of Alert Ambulance Service. Announced May 18, 2026, the deal further strengthens CMTS’s position as one of the largest and most comprehensive ambulance and medical transportation providers in the region, following its prior integration of Fallon and Lifeline Ambulance Services. The acquisition expands geographic coverage across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, increases fleet size to over 325 vehicles, and grows the combined workforce to nearly 1,500 clinicians and support staff. (Link)
  6. Wellgistics Health (NASD: WGRX) Accelerates Digital Health Expansion with Planned Acquisition of WellCare Today Wellgistics Health, Inc. announced a non-binding letter of intent to acquire WellCare Today, a remote monitoring company specializing in RPM, RTM, and CCM programs powered by Samsung Galaxy Watch technology. Announced May 14, 2026, the proposed ~$15 million transaction (including $3 million cash and performance-based earnout in preferred stock) will integrate WellCare Today’s HealthAssist® platform with Wellgistics’ MSO pilot through Kare Clinicals and its network of over 6,500 independent pharmacies. The combination aims to enhance patient engagement, medication adherence, chronic care management, and reimbursement opportunities through wearable-enabled remote monitoring. (Link)
  7. Lorient Capital entered a strategic growth partnership with PeterMD to accelerate the national expansion of its proactive Medicine 3.0 healthcare platform Lorient Capital, a private equity firm exclusively focused on healthcare, has made a strategic investment in PeterMD to scale its personalized “Medicine 3.0” platform. PeterMD specializes in precision medicine, offering customized hormone health, longevity, and sexual wellness treatments through advanced diagnostics and proactive care. Lorient Capital is deploying capital from its $500 million Healthcare Fund III to fuel PeterMD’s national growth, aiming to transform the traditional reactive healthcare model. The partnership focuses on enhancing clinical outcomes and operational efficiency as PeterMD seeks to expand its footprint and bring precision-based integrated medicine to a broader national patient base. (Link)
  8. Blackstone and KKR & Co. Inc. reached a restructuring deal to take over the dental firm Affordable Care after slashing its total debt by 70% Direct lenders Blackstone and KKR are set to take control of Affordable Care, one of the largest U.S. dental services providers, following a major debt restructuring. The deal involves the lenders in a $1.4 billion private credit structure swapping their debt for equity, effectively slashing the dental firm’s debt load by approximately 70%. This restructuring provides Affordable Care with a significantly improved balance sheet to manage its extensive network of dental practices. The move underscores the increasing trend of major private credit lenders like Blackstone and KKR transitioning from creditors to equity owners to stabilize and preserve value in distressed healthcare portfolios. (Link)
  9. Quince Therapeutics (NASDAQ: QNCX)  Acquires Orphai Therapeutics and Raises up to $187 Million in Private Placement to Advance Pulmonary Pipeline Quince Therapeutics, Inc. announced the acquisition of Orphai Therapeutics, bringing in LAM-001, an inhaled formulation of rapamycin (sirolimus) for rare pulmonary diseases including pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). Concurrently, Quince entered a private placement to raise up to $187 million ($115 million upfront + up to $72 million from warrants), led by Balyasny Asset Management with participation from a strong syndicate of healthcare investors. The combined proceeds are expected to fund operations through the end of 2028 and support multiple clinical milestones, including Phase 2 data readouts in 2027 and 2028.
  10. Orthopaedic Specialty Group and OrthoConnecticut Merge to Create Statewide Physician-Led Platform Powered by HOPCo Technology Partnership Orthopaedic Specialty Group (OSG) and OrthoConnecticut have officially merged, creating a dominant, physician-led musculoskeletal (MSK) care platform across Connecticut. The merger is bolstered by a strategic partnership with Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company (HOPCo), the global leader in MSK value-based care. While the organizations merge their clinical networks to improve patient access, HOPCo provides the digital infrastructure, including advanced analytics and care management tools, to optimize outcomes and reduce total care costs. This collaboration allows the unified practice to scale thoughtfully while preserving clinical autonomy and delivering high-quality orthopedic services closer to home for patients throughout the Connecticut. (Link)
  11. Sweetser merged with Common Ties Mental Health Services to create Maine’s largest provider of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic services Common Ties Mental Health Services, based in Lewiston, has officially merged with Sweetser to create a robust behavioral health network in Maine. This merger establishes Sweetser as the state’s largest provider of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) services, integrating Common Ties’ regional expertise into Sweetser’s broad statewide platform. The investment focuses on streamlining mental health delivery, expanding free community training, and increasing access to specialized behavioral health services. By consolidating resources, the combined entity aims to build a more sustainable and accessible care model to address the rising mental health needs across Maine’s diverse and often underserved communities. (Link)
  12. Gryphon Investors-backed LEARN Behavioral acquired Little Leaves Behavioral Services from FullBloom, a portfolio company of American Securities LEARN Behavioral, a leading autism therapy provider backed by Gryphon Investors, has acquired Little Leaves Behavioral Services from FullBloom. FullBloom is a portfolio company of American Securities and sold the division to refocus on its core educational services. Little Leaves operates 18 early-intervention centers across Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, which will now join LEARN’s extensive national network. This acquisition allows LEARN Behavioral to expand its density in the Mid-Atlantic and establish a larger presence in the Florida market. The deal represents a significant consolidation within the ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) sector, focusing on scaling early-intervention services for children with autism. (Link)
  13. Arcadea Group expanded its mission-critical software presence in Brazil through the acquisition of hemotherapy and hospital software provider Sofis Arcadea Group, a long-term investor in high-quality software firms, has acquired Sofis, a Rio de Janeiro-based provider of healthcare software. Sofis specializes in mission-critical solutions for blood bank management (hemotherapy) and hospital ERP systems, serving over 300 institutions across Brazil. This acquisition marks Arcadea’s fourth investment in the Brazilian healthcare technology market. Arcadea plans to leverage its permanent capital base to support Sofis’ long-term product development and international expansion. By transitioning from a founder-owned model to one backed by Arcadea’s global resources, Sofis aims to modernize its platform and deepen its penetration into the complex Latin American healthcare technology landscape. (Link)
  14. Iterative Health Acquires Cardiology Research Sites from NextStage Clinical Research Iterative Health, a healthcare technology and services company focused on accelerating clinical research, has acquired three cardiology research sites from NextStage Clinical Research in Texas (Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Waco). Announced on May 14, 2026, with Bourne Partners serving as financial advisor, the deal expands Iterative Health’s elite site network and strengthens its capabilities in cardiovascular research — a therapeutic area affecting nearly half of U.S. adults. The sites bring experienced teams, strong community provider connections, and an active trial portfolio, enhancing patient access to innovative therapies while providing sponsors with high-performing, real-world research centers. (Link)
  15. HealthScape Advisors Acquires PayerAlly to Strengthen Pharmacy Benefit Management Capabilities HealthScape Advisors, a leading payer advisory firm and a Chartis company, has acquired PayerAlly, an independent pharmacy consulting firm specializing in pharmacy benefit management (PBM) strategy, procurement, and optimization. Announced May 12, 2026 (with coverage extending through mid-May), the deal enhances HealthScape’s ability to help health plans and employers address rapidly rising prescription drug costs through integrated, clinically informed total cost-of-care solutions. PayerAlly’s expertise in PBM strategy complements HealthScape’s broader payer advisory platform, supporting more effective management of one of healthcare’s fastest-growing expense categories. (Link)
  16. NeuroVision Acquires Durin Life Sciences to Advance Neurodegenerative Diagnostics NeuroVision, a diagnostics company developing early detection tools for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, has acquired Durin Life Sciences, a fellow diagnostics developer. Announced May 15, 2026, the deal adds Durin’s blood-based Duritect™ tests for early detection and monitoring of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS. The combination accelerates NeuroVision’s platform for earlier, more accessible diagnosis and disease management, addressing critical gaps in neurodegenerative care. (Link)
  17. IKS Health Acquires ARAI Solutions to Accelerate Agentic AI Capabilities IKS Health, a global leader in care enablement and AI-driven clinical solutions, has acquired ARAI Solutions, a specialized AI management and technology company focused on biomedical knowledge graphs and clinical reasoning infrastructure. Announced May 13–14, 2026, the deal enhances IKS Health’s ability to build proprietary small language models and agentic AI systems for clinical, operational, and revenue cycle workflows. ARAI’s ontology layer and applied research expertise will improve the reliability, auditability, and efficiency of IKS’s AI platforms serving health systems nationwide. (Link)
  18. Signant Health Acquires Ametris to Create End-to-End eCOA and Digital Outcome Measures Platform Signant Health, a leading evidence generation company for clinical trials, has acquired Ametris (formerly ActiGraph), a global digital health solutions provider specializing in wearable-derived clinical outcome measures. The deal integrates Signant’s eCOA (electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment) solutions with Ametris’ validated sensor-based technologies for objective measurement of physical activity and function. The combined platform will deliver multimodal evidence—patient-reported outcomes alongside continuous real-world data—simplifying complex trials, accelerating insights, and strengthening regulatory submissions, particularly in CNS and other therapeutic areas. (Link)
  19. iSpecimen Inc. (NASD: ISPC) Secures $2.5 Million Private Placement to Support Operations Amid 89% Annual Stock Decline iSpecimen Inc. finalized a $2.5 million private placement on May 11, 2026, to bolster working capital. The biospecimen marketplace provider, currently valued at $3.39 million, has seen its share price plummet 89% over the past year to $4.57. This funding follows a $5.5 million raise in late 2025, aimed at mitigating rapid cash burn. iSpecimen, which connects medical researchers with specimen providers, will use the proceeds for general corporate purposes as it navigates significant financial challenges and seeks to stabilize its market position. (Link)
  20. Blue Sea Capital supported One Physics in its strategic acquisition and partnership with Petrone Associates to expand its Northeast clinical services footprint One Physics, the largest outsourced medical physics services company in North America, has announced its 22nd acquisition with the addition of New York-based Petrone Associates. This strategic move, backed by growth-oriented private equity firm Blue Sea Capital, significantly strengthens One Physics’ presence in the New York City metropolitan market and Northern New Jersey. The partnership leverages One Physics’ national scale and Petrone’s established clinical reputation to provide comprehensive diagnostic and therapy medical physics, radiation safety, and dosimetry services. Blue Sea Capital, managing over $1.5 billion in assets, remains committed to accelerating One Physics’ industry leadership through continued regional consolidation. (Link)

Venture Deals and Other

  1. Sound Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Link Ventures, Redesign Health, and RRE Ventures invested $17 million in Anomaly Insights to address healthcare payer-provider information asymmetry. Anomaly Insights, an AI-powered payer intelligence firm, secured $17 million in funding led by Sound Ventures to combat the informational gap between healthcare payers and providers. The investment includes participation from RRE Ventures and Redesign Health, focusing on Anomaly’s real-time AI platform that identifies and corrects billing errors and payment inaccuracies. The company aims to reduce the massive administrative waste in the U.S. healthcare system by providing transparency in the claims process. This new capital will be used to enhance Anomaly’s machine learning models and scale its solutions across larger health systems and insurance networks to streamline payment cycles. (Link)
  2. McKesson Ventures, FCA Venture Partners, Sanofi Ventures, and AIX Ventures led a $26 million Series A for Branchlab to scale its AI-driven biopharma commercialization platform Branchlab raised $26 million in a Series A round led by McKesson Ventures to accelerate the growth of its Pathwai™ platform. The round, which included corporate venture backing from Sanofi Ventures, brings Branchlab’s total funding to $35 million. The company uses privacy-first AI to optimize the patient journey and enhance pharmaceutical commercialization, reporting a 70% increase in patient activation efficiency. Branchlab intends to use the capital to expand its engineering and data science teams in New York and Colorado. By providing real-time insights to biopharma brands, Branchlab aims to make pharmaceutical marketing more effective and patient-centric through advanced data analytics. (Link)
  3. AIX Ventures led a $2 million pre-Seed funding round for Chromie Health to develop its autonomous AI-powered hospital workforce management platform Chromie Health, a New York-based startup, secured $2 million in pre-Seed funding led by AIX Ventures to tackle the hospital staffing crisis. The company develops autonomous AI agents that automate complex administrative tasks and workforce scheduling without requiring deep IT integration. Chromie Health’s platform is designed to alleviate the burnout of clinical staff by handling the logistics of hospital operations through intelligent automation. The investment will support the development of additional “digital agents” capable of reasoning through clinical context and staffing needs. This seed capital positions Chromie Health to pilot its solutions across more health systems seeking to modernize their operational efficiency. (Link)
  4. Blueprint Equity, Villain Capital, Z21 Ventures, and Bienville Capital led a $14 million growth funding round for pediatric-focused AI operating system Develo Develo, an AI-native operating system for pediatric practices, raised $14 million in a funding round led by Blueprint Equity. The platform integrates clinical workflows, billing, and parent engagement into a single AI-driven ecosystem, currently serving hundreds of providers across 25 states. The capital will be used to accelerate the development of specialized AI tools, including automated charge capture and AI-assisted scribing for pediatricians. Develo aims to reduce the administrative burden that leads to physician burnout while improving the financial performance of independent pediatric practices. The investment highlights a growing trend toward specialty-specific AI platforms that address unique clinical and operational workflows. (Link)
  5. Thrive Capital, General Catalyst, Accel, Bain Capital Ventures, Redpoint, BoxGroup, and Pear VC backed Forus with $160 million to build its AI-powered pharmaceutical delivery network Forus, formerly known as Tandem, raised $160 million in a major funding round backed by top-tier venture firms including Thrive Capital and General Catalyst. The company is building an AI-powered infrastructure that connects doctors, pharmacies, and biopharma companies to streamline the drug fulfillment process. Forus automates the “last-mile” clinical steps, such as insurance authorizations, to ensure patients receive treatments faster. With five of the top ten global biopharma companies already utilizing the network, Forus plans to use the investment to expand its nationwide reach and further integrate its AI layer into existing physician and pharmacy workflows to eliminate treatment delays. (Link)
  6. Uncork Capital, Frist Cressey Ventures, Moxxie Ventures, and Coalition Operators provided $11.6 million in Seed funding for the launch of Knit Health’s clinical behavior AI Knit Health, a spin-out from UC Berkeley, launched with $11.6 million in Seed funding co-led by Uncork Capital and Frist Cressey Ventures. The company is developing a Large Clinical Behavior Model (LCBM) trained on real-world clinician decisions across 30 U.S. health systems. Knit Health’s AI agents are designed to handle triage, patient flow, and care coordination by learning from collective clinical experience rather than just static text. The funding will be used to scale its foundational intelligence layer and deploy AI agents that assist in high-stakes hospital environments. This investment reflects a shift toward “Action AI” that can reason and perform complex tasks in clinical settings. (Link)
  7. Salesforce Ventures, Echo Health Ventures, Susa Ventures, Matrix Partners, and HC9 Ventures raised $17.5 million in Series A funding for Optura’s AI governance platform Optura, a Nashville-based healthcare AI governance platform, secured $17.5 million in Series A funding led by Salesforce Ventures. The investment, which brings Optura’s total funding to $25 million, will support the expansion of its “Return on AI Investment” (ROAI) platform. Optura helps enterprise healthcare organizations, such as Independence Blue Cross, map fragmented data and measure the efficacy of their AI agents. The capital will be used to scale partnerships with LLM providers and grow its engineering teams. By providing a unified knowledge layer, Optura enables healthcare leaders to prioritize AI use cases based on actual operational readiness and projected business value. (Link)
  8. Norwest, Primary, Next Ventures, Constellation, and Scrub Capital led a $25 million financing round for Tokaido Health to launch its AI medication steerage platform. Tokaido Health emerged from stealth with $25 million in funding led by Norwest and Primary to address skyrocketing pharmacy costs for employers. The platform utilizes AI and behavioral economics to identify same-or-better medications that cost less, steering members toward high-value options like biosimilars. Tokaido layers on top of existing PBM stacks, allowing for a seamless integration without plan redesigns. The investment will be used to scale its concierge-style member outreach and expand its clinical reasoning engine. By focusing on site-of-care steerage and polypharmacy reconciliation, Tokaido aims to eliminate billions in wasted drug spending while improving the patient experience. (Link)
  9. Andera Partners, American Century Investments, Clarevia Ventures, Time BioVentures, View Ventures, Cadence Healthcare Ventures, and Anduril Investors led a $20 million Series D for Rivermark Medical Rivermark Medical, a urology-focused medical device company, raised $20 million in Series D funding led by Andera Partners. The financing will support the ongoing RAPID III pivotal clinical trial for the FloStent™ System, a non-surgical treatment for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The investment syndicate includes American Century Investments and Time BioVentures, focusing on bringing this reversible, office-based therapy to market. The FloStent is designed to be easily adjustable and tissue-preserving, offering a first-line alternative to more invasive surgical procedures. The capital will also be used to prepare for a U.S. commercial launch following expected regulatory approval. (Link)
  10. Aulis Capital led a $13.4 million Seed funding round for Shyld AI to accelerate the deployment of its autonomous AI-driven infection control solutions Shyld AI, a healthcare technology company, secured $13.4 million in Seed funding led by Aulis Capital to expand its active intelligence solutions for hospital facilities. Shyld AI develops autonomous physical agents that use AI and UV disinfection to reduce environmental contamination in high-risk areas like operating rooms. The funding will accelerate deployments across U.S. health systems and support the company’s expansion into regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing environments. By streamlining infection control and compliance without adding to the workload of hospital staff, Shyld AI aims to improve patient safety and operational efficiency. The investment marks a significant milestone in the adoption of autonomous hygiene agents in healthcare. (Link)

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