For the first time in Vietnam, the International Conference on Healthcare M&A 2025 focused on discussing opportunities, challenges and trends of international cooperation in the healthcare sector.
On the morning of November 21, in Hanoi, the International Conference on Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in the Healthcare Industry in 2025 officially took place. This is the first specialized forum in Vietnam focusing on the field of healthcare M&A, organized by Vietnam Medical Legal Consulting Company Limited (Medicallaw), under the media sponsorship of the Health & Life Newspaper (Ministry of Health).
Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Duc Nhu, Senior Advisor of Medicallaw, spoke at the event.
The conference gathered more than 150 delegates including leaders of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), along with leading experts, investors and prestigious domestic and international financial institutions. The event is expected to become a bridge to promote multilateral cooperation, open up investment opportunities and orient sustainable development for the Vietnamese healthcare sector.
Globally, the healthcare M&A market boomed in 2020-2021, with transaction value in the first half of 2021 reaching 330-340 billion USD thanks to many deals over 1 billion USD. However, from 2022 to the first half of 2024, the market stagnated due to a lack of large deals, before recovering to 115-120 billion USD in the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025. While the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors saw a 33% decrease in transaction value, healthcare services increased by 50%, reflecting a trend of focusing on large-scale deals. Vietnam emerged as a potential market, with total M&A value in the first 8 months of 2025 reaching 4.8 billion USD, up 21% year-on-year, thanks to a rapidly aging population, an expanding middle class and open investment policies. Many outstanding deals put Vietnam on the regional healthcare M&A map, typically Thomson Medical Group buying FV Hospital for 381.4 million USD, Livzon (China) owning 65% of Imexpharm shares and Dongwha Pharm (Korea) investing 30 million USD in Trung Son pharmacy chain.
However, healthcare M&A activities in Vietnam still face many challenges, especially in terms of an incomplete legal framework, complicated administrative procedures, and inconsistent regulations on corporate governance and asset valuation.
Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Duc Nhu, Senior Advisor of Medicallaw, commented: “M&A appraisal in the healthcare industry is much more complicated than in other fields, related to practice licenses, fire prevention and fighting, environment, senior personnel, drug lists, equipment and health insurance”.
The conference aims to create a forum for open dialogue between management agencies and businesses, remove difficulties, improve the legal framework and promote a transparent investment environment. This is also an opportunity for domestic and foreign investors to meet, share information and establish cooperation, contributing to the formation of a community connecting M&A in the healthcare sector.
Conference scene
For the first time, HIMA 2025 affirmed Medicallaw’s pioneering role in legal consulting on M&A, business establishment and IPO in the healthcare sector. Within the framework of the conference, Medicallaw signed many memorandums of understanding on cooperation, building an ecosystem connecting legal – securities – pharmaceuticals – medical equipment – investors, contributing to increasing capital flow into the healthcare sector.
The world-class speakers at the conference included Mr. Brian K. Langenberg (ONEtoONE Corporate Finance), Dr. Gabriel Stein (Stein Brothers) and Mr. Peter Sørensen (Asia Business Builder), who brought global perspectives on M&A, from macroeconomic and geopolitical analysis to management experience in the healthcare sector.
Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Duc Nhu emphasized: “The conference is an effective bridge, introducing potential opportunities in specialized healthcare and sharing international experiences in M&A appraisal and compliance, ensuring sustainable development for the Vietnamese healthcare industry.”
With strong growth potential and increasing investment capital interest, the Vietnamese healthcare industry is facing great opportunities in M&A. The International Healthcare M&A Conference 2025 is an important bridge to help businesses and investors grasp trends, promote technological innovation, improve service quality and move towards sustainable development.
