Porter Novelli Acquires Atkins + Associates to Launch New Life Sciences Division
Porter Novelli Life Sciences is First Truly Scalable Life Sciences Communications Offering
NEW YORK, Jan. 9 -- Porter Novelli today announced that it has acquired Atkins + Associates, a leading life sciences agency based in San Diego, Calif.
With this acquisition, Porter Novelli has established a dedicated life sciences business unit, Porter Novelli Life Sciences. This new unit also takes on the life sciences team of Porter Novelli subsidiary, FischerHealth, and will be supported by Porter Novelli's full range of global talent and resources. This creates the first truly scalable corporate and marketing communications offering sought by biotech and life sciences companies, large and small, to ensure consistent quality from strategy through execution.
Now operating under the Porter Novelli Life Sciences name, Atkins + Associates will retain all of its management team and staff, as well as its commitment to servicing only the life sciences sector. Porter Novelli Life Sciences will have offices in San Diego and New York, with access to the full range of Porter Novelli's global talent and footprint.
"We believe much of the life sciences industry has been underserved in terms of quality and breadth of service available," commented Helen Ostrowski, CEO, Porter Novelli. "The combined resources and expertise of Atkins + Associates, FischerHealth's life sciences team and Porter Novelli create what we believe is the most compelling agency opportunity in the life sciences market. Merging well-established life sciences resumes with international health care resources gives Porter Novelli Life Sciences the ability to tackle an expansive, diverse range of client assignments, from biotech start-ups to major commercial ventures."
Porter Novelli Life Sciences offers an extensive breadth and depth of expertise, including investor relations, media relations, product launches, interactive and Web services, reputation management, employee communications and corporate advertising.
"Our clients -- as well as our client roster -- are growing, and we are now able to offer an even broader array of national and international services to help them succeed in the very competitive arena of life sciences," said Susan Atkins, founder of Atkins + Associates. "We are excited to join forces with Porter Novelli because its long-standing commitment to and excellence in the health care sector, as well as its dedication to client service, so closely match our own."
Porter Novelli Life Sciences will be led by three biotech veterans: Carin Canale, president; Amy Martini, executive vice president; and Miriam Weber, executive vice president. Canale was previously managing director at Atkins + Associates and partnered with Susan Atkins to build one of the most respected life science brands in the industry. Martini and Weber have been co-leads of FischerHealth's life sciences practice, which they successfully developed after FischerHealth was acquired by Porter Novelli. With over 20 years of experience in life sciences, Susan Atkins will serve as chair, continuing to provide strategic counsel and representing the agency and its clients externally. Porter Novelli Life Sciences will report to Greg Baird, a Porter Novelli partner and leader of its health care industry group.
FischerHealth, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., will continue to focus on its three areas of core competency: medical devices and diagnostics, health services, and health information technology. It will continue to work closely with Porter Novelli as part of the agency's health care industry group, which also includes Porter Novelli's well-established experience in pharmaceuticals and social marketing.
About Atkins + Associates
Founded in 1999 in San Diego, Atkins + Associates has served over 100 life science clients across the U.S. and North America. The agency's targeted strategic programs helped clients achieve business objectives such as IPOs, product launches, partnership agreements and additional financing by positioning each client in the minds of the financial community, media, pharmaceutical partners, patients, and other key constituents.
About Porter Novelli
Porter Novelli is one of the world's leading public relations agencies, with offices in all major markets. With a focus on effective stakeholder communications and adopting a holistic, media-neutral approach, Porter Novelli develops public relations programs that deliver value and impact to its clients' business. Porter Novelli was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1972 and is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC), a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. For more information, please visit http://www.porternovelli.com/.
Source: Porter Novelli
CONTACT: Kristen Ewing, Porter Novelli, +1-212-601-8125, kristen.ewing@porternovelli.com
Web site: http://www.porternovelli.com/
