Revenue grew 9% to $47.6 million.
Having an advanced scientific or medical degree doesn’t give staffers bragging rights at PRECISIONscientia. In fact, it’s almost the price of admission.
All 90 people on the agency’s content team have an M.D., PharmD, or Ph.D., notes VP, new business operations Kathleen Laurie with obvious pride.
“We believe that science can improve and save lives, and we play a critical role in getting it into the hands of healthcare providers who treat patients,” she says. “We strongly believe that contributing to medicine is a worthy and noble endeavor.”
Given that operational philosophy — not to mention the company moniker — it’s no surprise that PRECISIONscientia has doubled down on high-science clients, especially those in the realms of immuno-oncology, rare diseases and cell and gene therapy. That’s where the company’s advanced-degree brigade comes in handy: Laurie notes that clients can have nuanced scientific conversations with most any PRECISIONscientia person they’re working with, rather than having to wait until a token floating medical expert becomes available.
PRECISIONscientia grew revenue by just under 9% during 2022, to $47.6 million from $43.8 million the previous year. The growth was spurred by an influx of new business, including assignments from Genentech (for MS blockbuster Ocrevus), Ferring Pharmaceuticals (for RA/PsA/Crohn’s disease treatment Cimzia and colonoscopy prep Clenpiq), Kite Therapeutics (on cell and gene therapy), Takeda (in rare disease) and Sanofi (chronic GVHD drug Rezurock). Other agency clients include Novo Nordisk (eight brands, including Ozempic), Novartis (nine brands) and Eli Lilly (on its oncology franchise).
In the wake of this growth, PRECISIONscientia plans to toot its own horn a bit. Laurie notes that the agency, known from its birth in 2002 until 2020 as ETHOS Health Communications, has grown mostly via word of mouth.
A more concerted self-marketing effort should help the firm continue to attract scientists, who are much coveted in the precision-marketing era. PRECISIONscientia increased head count from 211 people at the beginning of 2022 to 236 at the end of it.
The company also plans to further bolster its recently established medical strategy team, which has been charged with moderating ad boards and facilitating workshops and webinars. Laurie notes that, collectively, the strategy team’s members boast more than 50 years of communications experience across a range of therapeutic areas.
“They provide that very focused strategy for our clients during critical junctures of our work,” she adds.
PRECISIONscientia took care of its own in another way during 2022: by investing in its HR and leadership teams. With the agency world writ large continuing to grapple with the post-COVID office/virtual/hybrid work landscape, Laurie believes the additional support is needed — and that it is widely appreciated.
“We have a strong group of people who love the work they’re doing and love the colleagues they’re working with,” she says. “Everyone tries to do their best — not just for our clients, but also for each other.”
Our marketing role model…
David A. Sadock, the cofounder of our business. He had a thirst for knowledge and continually worked to become a better marketer. He instilled his belief from the very beginning that pharmaceutical companies aren’t really marketing products — they are marketing the science behind those products. That is still a foundational element of what drives us today. — Nate Wible
By Jennifer Goforth Gregory | June 12, 2023
Read MM+M Agency 100 PRECISIONscientia article and complete Agency 100 list
