While women’s health has slid under the research radar for decades, large biopharma companies and venture capital firms are beginning to take notice of the untapped market potential. More companies are wandering into the space and exploring avenues of science that were largely ignored for years. A BioWorld analysis of biopharma companies working on women’s health solutions found that while many efforts to improve the well-being of women exist, the proportion of funding and partnering for this emerging sector of medicine still represents only a small slice of the industry’s overall activity.

While the size of the market is enormous, drug development and treatments for women’s health care still lag behind what is offered for men. There has been a renaissance in the past few years, however, led by investors and companies that have wrestled with determining exactly what encompasses women’s health and how to meet its challenges.

Boston Scientific Corp. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cortex Inc., from Ajax Health Inc. to develop an integrated mapping and ablation solution for cardiac arrhythmias. Cortex’s Optimap system employs a basket catheter and algorithm to identify active sources for atrial fibrillation beyond the pulmonary veins on which most mapping and ablation technology currently focus.

In an effort to shore up its position in a rapidly developing market for brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies, Onward Medical NV signed an exclusive license with France’s CEA-Clinatec to use its BCI chip as part the Arc-BCI system, which restores direct communication from the brain to the spinal cord.

Hologic Inc. signed an agreement to acquire Gynesonics Inc. for $350 million. The acquisition will significantly boost Hologic’s revenues from surgical gynecology and provide an option not met by the company’s current portfolio of products.

Ceribell Inc. launched its initial public offering of more than 10.6 million shares of common stock at $17 and steadily saw the trading value rise, before closing just over $25 on Oct. 11 per share. Ceribell, which developed a portable electroencephalogram for use in intensive care and emergency department settings, expected to gross $180.3 million from the IPO excluding any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. The IPO will close on Oct. 15.

Radiopharmaceutical company Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is continuing its buying spree to shore up dominance in the radiopharmaceutical market with its latest acquisition of RLS Radiopharmacies for $250 million to expand its U.S. manufacturing presence and establish a next-generation radiometal production network.

Creo Medical Group plc entered into an agreement to sell a 51% stake in its European consumable business to Chinese medical device distributor, Micro-Tech Co. Ltd. for approximately €36.7 million (US$41 million) in cash on a cash free, debt free basis.

Merit Medical Systems Inc. reported it is buying the lead management assets of Cook Medical Inc. for $210 million in cash. The Cook products consist of lead extraction devices and other lead management products.

Days ahead of its contentious annual shareholders’ meeting slated for Sept. 19, Masimo Corp. established partnerships with two big players – Google LLC and Qualcomm Technologies Inc. – to significantly expand and support the ecosystem for Wear OS smartwatches by developing a next-generation smartwatch reference platform for original equipment manufacturers.