The Peer Group, a peer-oriented medical education company, and HealthTalk, a patient-education enterprise delivering live- and web-based programs on new research and treatments, have merged to form a biopharmaceutical marketing network called, Informed Medical Communications (IMC). The companies have combined revenues of more than $35 million.
IMC will provide biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with services including: interactive and live physician and patient programs; call-center services and primary and syndicated market research. The company offers clients access to more than 400,000 physicians, a patient database of people with chronic illnesses, and clinical experience in some 30 disease-states.
Robert Goodman, formerly chief executive of HealthTalk, will now act as chief executive of IMC.
“One of the most pressing marketing challenges among biopharmaceutical clients is enhancing the discussion between physician and patient, and caregiver and patient around product selection,” stated Goodman. “The Peer Group and HealthTalk merger will help pharmaceutical brand staff better address this need.”
IMC will operate the branded businesses of The Peer Group and HealthTalk as wholly-owned subsidiaries based from their Edison, N.J., and Seattle, Wash., locations. The board of directors will include: Robert Goodman, Harris Kaplan, chief executive of HealthStat, Tom Flynn and Ted Lundberg of Ferrer Freeman & Company, and Alan Frazier and Patrick Heron of Frazier Healthcare Ventures.