Project X-Ray and
Area 23, two Manhattan agencies that spun out of Interpublic Group's Draftfcb
Healthcare unit last year, are merging.
Project X-Ray, which handled several Pfizer accounts, will be absorbed by Area
23, a full-service healthcare communications business located on 23rd street.
Its larger counterpart, Draftfcb Healthcare, is on 33rd.
The 70-person,
mid-sized agency was conceived to
service clients including Roche's Phase III rheumatoid arthritis
compound Actemra, US and global, and its anemia biologic Mircera, global. It
will now handle Project X-Ray's Pfizer business, including antibiotic Zmax and
migraine drug Relpax.
Other Area 23
accounts include the Boehringer Ingelheim Mycardis franchise (hypertension), a
new assignment, and GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal (bipolar/epilepsy), which has
been handled by Draftfcb Healthcare since 2003.
Matt Lane, who
had been EVP/group management director for Project X-Ray, has joined Area 23,
according to an announcement yesterday heralding the agency's “official”
launch.
Area 23 provides
a blend of professional, patient and managed care services for the accounts.