FD acquires independent PR agency Sante
pharmafile | June 27, 2007 | News story | Medical Communications |
Financial communications consultancy FD has snapped up one of the UKs largest independent healthcare PR and med ed agencies.
The acquisition of Sante Communications significantly expands FD's existing healthcare presence and will assist in its global expansion plans.
Group chief executive Charles Watson said: "Healthcare has consistently proven to be one of our industry's most dynamic sectors. While we have built a financial communications offer that is second to none, we have recognised for some time both the need and opportunity to offer clients in the sector a broader base of specialist services. Sante provides us with that opportunity."
The group has greatly respected Sante for many years and its combination with FD creates a world-class offering, he added.
Covent Garden-based Sante, which was founded in 1995 by former Ketchum PR director Liz Shanahan, offers a range of public relations, public affairs and medical education services. Its current client list includes: Pfizer, Lilly, the Medical Research Council and the World Health Organization.
"We had been working together on a couple of projects and we just clicked and that's how it started," explained Liz Shanahan, adding that the two companies have a very complementary fit together.
"The things that excite us about it is the fact that we now have much greater global access. We also like the fact that theyve got a really strong public affairs and issues management team. They're areas that we've been involved in, but the depth and breadth of experience they have adds another level for us."
The companies started casting around for mutually convenient opportunities to work together. Most recently they won a joint account from Derby-based Synergy Healthcare.
The infection control company is the UK's largest provider of decontamination and sterilisation services for hospitals and PCTs.
Liz Shanahan said: "Synergy is quite an interesting company that deals a lot with hospital-based infections – everything from disinfecting linen to infection control products and air conditioning units that cleanse the air.
"Given the focus and interest in infection control in the UK at the moment, they're quite ahead of the game. Their air-cleansing machine eliminates everything from MRSA to Clostridium. difficile."
Sante has been expanding its global offering in recent years, working on a number of global European and UK communications strategies including the global launch of GlaxoSmithKline's blockbuster asthma drug Seretide.
The agency will join FD's expanding UK corporate and brand practice, which also covers sectors like technology, financial services and property, and the companies have also started pulling together teams for joint pitches.
FD already has a strong life sciences presence in Europe and the US, its clients in Sanofi Pasteur MSD, Wyeth, Ark Therapeutics and Novartis.
The firm is one of the world's largest strategic business and financial communications consultancies, employing more than 550 people in offices across Europe, the US, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
