W2O Group has acquired ISO.health, a London-based medical and scientific communications firm.
This deal represents W2O’s second med-comm acquisition to close in a month. ISO.health, which will be rebranded as W2O iso, will continue to be led by founders Suzanne Jacobs, Isabel Gibson and Oli Burnham. They will report to W2O’s Annalise Coady, the firm’s EMEA president.
Jacobs said the deal offers expanded reach for ISO clients. “Our customers are asking for stronger analytics and insights on customer behaviors to find the next trend that will shape the marketplace,” she noted. “Through W2O, we have additional behavioral insights expertise that we can bring our strong scientific background to.”
ISO was founded four years ago. Since then, the firm has grown in size to 40 staffers.
According to W2O CEO Jim Weiss, the ISO acquisition bolsters W2O’s medical and scientific expertise while at the same time expanding the firm’s European reach.
“The W2O science offering will be way more expansive than it was even just a few moons ago,” Weiss added. “Right now, it reaches mostly medical professionals and patient advocacy groups, but over time we’re adapting our PR and social groups that focus on the consumer to bring in greater medical and scientific expertise. We want to have science in the middle of everything we do.”
Last month, W2O acquired Philadelphia-based Arcus Medica, another medical and scientific communications agency. That deal added about 25 staff to W2O’s medical and scientific division.
W2O also received a private equity investment from New Mountain Capital earlier this year. Weiss said in May the investment would help the agency expand its capabilities and geographic scale.
