Snowballing InVentiv Health signaled interest in the PR sector with its pickup of a big independent PR shop.
The firm last month announced two acquisitions—those of indie healthcare PR shop Chandler Chicco Agency and AWAC, which offers cost containment services to medical payors.
The healthcare marketing and communications company’s acquisition of the PR firm, which boasts gross income of $50 million and a staff of 250 spread throughout offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, London and Paris, follows its pickup of Chamberlain PR in February.
The addition gives the company a broad-based shop with a substantial corporate practice and international reach to compliment Chamberlain’s high-science product PR focus. InVentiv Communications president and CEO R. Blane Walter called Chandler Chicco a good fit in a sector primed for expansion.
“They’re kind of the InChord of the PR space,” he said, referring to InVentiv’s advertising predecessor company. “The PR environment is growing as people look for more creative ways to reach consumers in a cost-efficient manner.”
Chandler Chicco also deepens InVentiv’s relationships with key clients including Allergan, Sanofi-Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis. Robert Chandler and Gianfranco Chicco will continue to lead the business, reporting to InVentiv Communications president and COO William O’Donnell.
From the August 01, 2007 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
