Healthcare investing hits 12-year high – 5 charts

Global private equity deal activity in healthcare is in good health, with transaction value hitting a 12-year high, according to Bain & Co.

Deal volume rose almost 50 percent to $63.1 billion last year, the highest level since 2006, the consultancy noted in its Global Healthcare Private Equity and Corporate M&A Report 2019 published Wednesday.

European healthcare had its best-ever year, with deal volume rising 40 percent to $17.8 billion, buoyed by CVC Capital Partners, PSP Investments and StepStone‘s buyout of Italian pharmaceutical maker Recordati in June and Advent International’s acquisition of Czech generic drug maker Zentiva in October.

“When combined with a glut of dry powder, increased fund-raising and higher fund allocations, competition for healthcare assets intensified throughout the year – and shows no signs of abating,” Bain wrote.

Below are five charts showing the state of the healthcare private equity market.