Two significant healthcare sector deals were announced, highlighting different segments of the medical technology and pharmaceutical markets.

VITL, a startup focused on e-prescribing technology, secured $7.5 million in funding to expand its marketplace platform serving cash-pay clinics. The company operates in the growing market for direct-pay medical services, providing prescribing solutions for clinics that operate outside traditional insurance models.

Separately, pharmaceutical giant Merck announced a nearly $6 billion acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals, a cancer-focused biotechnology company. The deal represents Merck's strategy to strengthen its drug development pipeline as the company faces future patent expiration challenges.

Merck's acquisition comes as the drugmaker seeks to diversify its portfolio ahead of patent protection loss for Keytruda, currently its top-selling oncology drug. Terns specializes in developing treatments for cancer and other serious diseases.

The transactions reflect broader trends in healthcare investment, with companies pursuing both technology-enabled service models and traditional drug development pipelines. Both deals target areas of significant market growth and unmet medical needs.