We present another installment of our quarterly review of pharmaceutical/biotechnology dealmaking-for October-December 2007. Our data comes from Windhover's Strategic Transactions Database, which covers deal activity within the pharmaceutical/biotechnology, medical device, and in vitro diagnostics and research industries.

In this issue, we present another installment of our quarterly review of pharmaceutical/biotechnology dealmaking-for July-September 2007. Our data come from Windhover's Strategic Transactions Database.

Spec pharma has created significant value in the US, but not, so far, in Europe. Still, Europe's spec pharma hopefuls aren't giving up, and they're trying out variations on the theme--some starting with infrastructure, others with products.

MedPointe was born via the leveraged buy-out of an old, private pharmaceutical company, Carter-Wallace. Accepting financial strictures was part of the deal; the company must remain profitable. This increases the challenge for the "founders," seasoned pharma execs intent on leveraging the infrastructure they overhauled, to created an in-licensing based marketing powerhouse. Beyond competing with bigger pharma marketers, management's challenge remains bringing in new assets affordably.