Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Medical Device Deals Update column is a survey of recent medtech M&A, alliance, and financing activity. This month’s column covers deals announced May-June 2015.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced in June 2015.

Companies are sprouting across the pharma value chain that harness the voices of patients and other individual stakeholders to drive the research, development, and financing of drugs. Pharma is taking tentative steps toward using these methods, but high barriers remain to their systematic integration in R&D.

Dart Therapeutics is owned and funded by rare disease patient foundations, and tiny ones at that. But with its first candidate, for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it has created a special ownership structure to move the program forward. That takes a page from the recent private investor playbook, and Dart’s CEO wants to use venture capital to fund more programs without losing its patient-centric vision and grassroots passion.