L-R: Susan Walkley, Dick Dunford, Gaynor Hayburn and Sarah Mikhailov

Havas Health Network has launched Havas Life London, an evolution of Havas Life Medicom that is “deeply rooted” in the agency’s leadership and specialised offerings.

The latest addition to the Havas Life group will be focused on connecting brand marketing and medical communications alongside a dedicated partnership with Havas Red’s life sciences public relations (PR) team.

The offering will be led by Sarah Mikhailov, managing director, rare; Dick Dunford, group creative director; Susan Walkley, managing director, PR and comms; and Gaynor Hayburn, group managing director. They hold extensive experience within the healthcare, creative and communications industries, and will be supported by a team of specialists in brand strategy, creative content, digital and social, and influencer engagement.

With cross-functional project teams across the agency, Havas Life London will offer brand, corporate and cause-related communications in global health and rare diseases. It also boasts a redefined structure and investment in creative impact, customer experience, merged media, and capabilities in technology and artificial intelligence.

Mikhailov said: “Radical authenticity in rare product launches and disease awareness is non-negotiable. By striving to truly understand the unique experiences of people living with rare conditions, our mission is to craft relevant programmes that meaningfully support rare communities.”

Dunford added: “We want Havas Life London to illuminate the Havas Life network as a beacon of collaboration and creativity... Our focus on insightful strategies that drive powerful ideas will deliver measurable outcomes and ensure meaningful impact.”

The launch comes almost exactly one year after Havas Health & You (HH&Y) announced the expansion of Havas Lynx into North America.

Havas Lynx New York aims to create “authentic and meaningful experiences to engage with patients and improve outcomes at every step of the patient journey,” HH&Y said at the time.

L-R: Chessa Williams, Nicky King and Zsofia Kopetka

twentyeightc, a UK-based healthcare-focused creative agency, has launched as the creative partner to customer engagement and Veeva optimisation agency twentyeightb.

The new agency has been designed to complement the sales engagement capabilities of twentyeightb, to deliver creative solutions for clients across the pharmaceutical sector.

Its four co-founders, Zsofia Kopetka, Nicky King, Chessa Williams and James Harper, hold decades of experience across a broad range of industry roles.

Kopetka and King, who are serving as twentyeightc’s managing director and client services director, respectively, previously co-founded ARK Agency before it was acquired by OPEN Health in 2021.

Williams, who is the agency’s chief creative officer, recently held roles at ARK Agency and OPEN Health, while James Harper is the founder and managing director at twentyeightb.

Kopetka said twentyeightc “[bridges] the gap” between traditional and specialist agencies.

“At twentyeightc, we craft with purpose… We design campaigns and materials with practical application and effectiveness in mind,” she said.

King commented: “Our goal is simple: minimise creative wastage and maximise impact. This means campaigns that actually get used – by reps, local markets or other stakeholders – saving clients time, budget and unnecessary stress.”

Williams added that the team is “excited to challenge the industry norms for the better”.
twentyeightc’s services include promotional communications, disease awareness, patient communications, as well as meetings, events and congresses.

Harper, who has been with twentyeightb since its founding in 2010, said: “For years, we have seen content go unused and opportunities missed, so I am really excited that we now have a partnership capable of delivering fully integrated, purposeful, end-to-end solutions.

“twentyeightc eliminates the silos that get in the way of customer engagement excellence ensuring campaigns get used and deliver on their full potential.”