8 healthcare agencies to watch in 2018

$3.9 million (up 2%)

23 employees

The agency is smart. If you don’t come out of a conversation with cofounder Hans Kaspersetz thinking differently about the industry — and in particular its digital evolution — you likely weren’t paying attention. Beyond its thought-leadership initiatives, Arteric added several new assignments from Celgene and welcomed Moberg Pharma to a roster that already included Novartis and Daiichi Sankyo.

$5.0 million (up 62%) 

17 employees

Cyan Health is all about market access. Granted, that doesn’t make the company unique in the current access-or-else landscape, but its thoughtful and nuanced approach belies its young age (Cyan opened its doors in 2014). Last year was when the agency elevated its client roster, adding work from 

Regeneron-Sanofi Genzyme, Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, and Sanofi.

$1.2 million (up 42%)

8 employees

Animal health remains a vital space, and Excitant has specialized in it for more or less the entirety of its life as an organization. Indeed, there’s something to be said for playing to your strengths and ignoring the temptation to chase trends. Clients include Zoetis, Merz North America, and Sebela Pharma.

$4.4 million (down 9%) 

24 employees

Ask larger agencies who they’re inclined to call when they need a digital boost, and Motionstrand is almost always among the first names they share. Last year may not have been its finest in terms of revenue, but the agency’s work on behalf of Avanir (for both Onzetra and Nuedexta) affirmed its pharma bona fides. Not to mention, Motionstrand remains a favorite partner of non-healthcare clients ranging from Allstate to Hilton.

$1.8 million (partial-year 2018) 

7 employees

The company’s four leaders comprise a formidable team. Steve Viviano previously ran ICC Lowe, Chet Moss was a higher-up at Area 23, Sophy Regelous was acting CEO of Guidemark Health, and Stacy Patterson spent years in the FCB Health family. QBFox reports three assignments with one client and positioning work with another, which is quite the impressive feat for an agency whose lifespan is still measured in weeks.

$2.8 million (up 11%) 

26 employees

While Red House is justly lauded for its work with financial and manufacturing concerns, the agency has become an under-the-radar favorite for healthcare organizations big and small. In 2017, it added Redox and Surgical Information Systems to a client roster that already included McKesson, Cognizant, Bayer, and the Mayo Clinic.

$22.7 million (up 85%) 

70 employees

With four offices in North America and an eclectic client mix, Sensis has earned a rep as one of the few agencies that “gets” cross-cultural marketing. But it’s the company’s ability to alternate easily between big pharma (Baxter) and governmental organizations (CDC, FDA, HHS) that makes it one of the better-connected players in health marketing. Approximately 32% of Sensis’ revenue (about $7.3 million) is derived from health/pharma clients.

$2.7 million (up 800%) 

14 employees

For an agency that has only a single full year under its belt, Splice has generated plenty of attention. That’s mostly due to its work — for, among others, Sunovion (the Neohaler respiratory line) and Rigel Pharmaceuticals (an ITP launch) — but it also has to do with the collective experience of its leadership. Two of the agency’s four founders, Paul Hagopian and Joshua McCasland, are familiar to agency watchers owing to their tenures at Giant.