Respivant will be Roivant's 13th "vant," focused on developing what was Patara Pharma's mast cell stimulator for chronic cough in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Former Patara CEO Bill Gerhart will lead the firm.

Sumitomo Dainippon unit pays a 123% premium to acquire Cynapsus and its Phase III Parkinson's drug APL-130277, with at least one analyst speculating it paid a high price in order to avoid a bidding war.

In the third quarter of 2012, start-up companies raised a total of $682 million across all industries, roughly 19% more than in the previous quarter. Of that money, 65% went to biopharmas. Several large molecule-focused companies inked deals during Q3. Four start-ups were acquired – three biopharmas and one medical device company.

The Dealmaking column is a survey of recent transactions, including strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions, and financings, in the life sciences industries. Deals are listed by the following industry sectors: in vitro diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and research/analytical instrumentation and reagents. All transactions are excerpted from Elsevier's Strategic Transactions database, providing comprehensive transaction coverage from 1991 to the present.