Janssen-Cilag International NV announced that the European Commission granted approval to Darzalex (daratumumab) for use in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, or bortezomib – which is marketed as Velcade – and dexamethasone, for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy.

Prevencio Inc. announced the publication of data which demonstrates that a simple, new blood test is more accurate than evaluating commonly used risk factors in determining whether a person will have a heart attack, stroke or major cardiac event. Researchers believe the data, published in the American Journal of Cardiology (AJC), could revolutionize how doctors identify patients – not only higher-risk patients who need aggressive treatment, but also lower-risk patients who could avoid expensive and invasive procedures.

For many of the healthcare advertising agencies featured within this annual special report, 2016 was another year of growth and change. With the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States and the United Kingdom’s Brexit vote to exit the European Union, the year also introduced uncertainty to agencies and their clients.

To qualify for this annual report, agencies must have the capabilities to develop marketing strategies that target healthcare professionals (physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, etc.), and/or consumers, and/or patients, and/or stakeholders such as managed market payors.

A listing of holding companies/networks and their healthcare communications agencies and also independent healthcare communications agencies.

Recognized as Med Ad News’ 2017 healthcare agency/network industry person of the year, Dana Maiman brings the intellectual prowess and strategic rigor of a legal education to her position as the CEO and president of the FCB Health family of companies worldwide.

On February 22, 2017, a white American man shot two Indian men at Austin’s Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas, who he had mistaken as Middle Eastern. The man yelled, “get out of my country” before shooting the men, killing one. A third man was shot and wounded after he came to the mens’ aid. Tragically, the man who was killed, Srinivas Kuchibhotla 32, was the husband of an Intouch Solutions employee, Sunayana Dumala.

While the future of the biopharma and device industries is mostly dependent on what happens in labs and clinical trials, their ability to innovate and successfully market medicines, devices and services operates in a policy soup often flavored by who occupies senior positions in the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration.

For AbelsonTaylor, 2016 was a successful year by any measure, according to management. The Cubs won the World Series and the agency grew its client and brand rosters, revenue, staff, and capabilities. Executives say 2015’s growth of more than 16 percent was hard to match, and much of 2016 was spent hiring the staff needed to service new clients and new brands. AbelsonTaylor turned down most pitch opportunities and still grew the business by about 5 percent, according to its leadership, adding that growth came from both new and existing clients and would have been higher had product and project approvals not been pushed into 2017.

How do you top your best year ever? According to Area 23 leaders, you do not try to. After a banner 2015, which saw the agency tack on 35 percent growth, rocket past the $50 million mark, add 65 employees, and rake in more creative awards than any other healthcare agency in the world, Area 23 leaders decided early in 2016 that it would be a year of slow and steady growth, with less pitching and a focus on culture. “Well, the gods of advertising had other plans, and after another explosive year, the agency has broken all of its own growth records once again, expanding another 55 percent in size, and finishing the year with 325 employees and more creative recognition than in any prior year,” executives say.