Eversana has announced its acquisition of Healthware Group, building on the long-standing partnership between the two companies and expanding Eversana’s European operations and global capabilities.

Healthware, a full-service agency and consultancy headquartered in Italy, will immediately merge with the US life sciences services company’s global agency network, Eversana Intouch.

Jim Lang, chief executive officer of Eversana, said the acquisition marked “the next remarkable step in [the company’s] journey to reinvent commercialisation”.

He continued: “Gone are the days of siloed, ineffective operations or regional strategies. Our clients need global strategy and integrated commercial services balanced with the right in-market expertise.

“And now with an even stronger global agency powerhouse connected to Eversana’s full commercial ecosystem, we are advancing our commitment to provide clients with unmatched support for brands worldwide.”

The relationship between the two agency networks dates back to 2017, when Healthware signed a joint venture agreement with Intouch Group, which was later acquired by Eversana in 2021.

“Healthware Group and Eversana Intouch have had a long and successful partnership dating back many years and spanning Europe, Asia Pacific and North America,” said Roberto Ascione, chief executive officer of Healthware Group.

“Our companies share a common culture and vision, and together, we are already leveraging the power of digital and technology solutions to deliver global brand impact and transform stakeholder engagement and patient care,” he added.

Founded by Ascione, Healthware has provided marketing, advisory, customer engagement and media services, medical communications and education, and advanced technology capabilities for over 25 years.

As part of the acquisition by Eversana, Healthware’s flagship global events, media and publishing divisions, including the annual Frontiers Health conference, will be owned and operated by Eversana.

Ascione said: “With this merger, we will...provide services well beyond a traditional agency network, which is why this merger was so compelling to us.

“We look forward to serving both new and existing clients with an expanded set of commercialisation services.”

Roberto Ascione

Jim Lang

Inizio Engage has announced the launch of Nazaré, a new learning and capability brand that brings together more than 150 ‘experts in learning, life sciences, creativity, technology and behavioural science’.

Nazaré will be part of the experience design (XD) specialist area within Inizio Engage, the company said, to “draw on the rest of Inizio Engage XD’s in-house creative and executional capabilities in live events, environments, film, digital and immersive technologies, as well as considering learning experience design more holistically alongside employee engagement”.

The brand brings together Axiom, Cormis, Logicearth Learning Services and Ashfield Excellence Academy under one umbrella to support global organisations with a range of learning and capability programmes, with knowledge in end-to-end life sciences learning support for pharmaceutical and biotech companies across the product life cycle.

“Nazaré harnesses science, creativity and technology to challenge how the learning and development industry creates impact for businesses,” Inizio Engage said. “The brand name embodies a new wave in learning – emphasising the power, agility, momentum and impact that Nazaré will bring to its clients.”

Commenting on the launch, Russ Lidstone, president of Inizio Engage XD, said: “Business leaders need evidence-based learning strategies and programmes that inspire real behaviour change.

“Nazaré provides a unique combination of learning, capability development, technology, creativity and behavioural science to create learning that delivers real-world results.”

The launch sees the formation of a new global leadership team, with Charlotte Morris as global managing director, Terri Harchar as managing director, North America, and Peter Carlin as director, learning technology and platforms.

Morris said: “The launch of Nazaré is incredibly exciting because it means that, unlike other training providers, we go beyond simple knowledge transfer – we combine science, creativity and technology to redefine the practice of instructional design.

“This enables us to transform the behaviour of our clients’ people and the success of their businesses at the most pivotal moments.”

In June, Inizio announced the launch of a ‘major new strategic combination’ at Inizio Engage, with the brand now combining Ashfield Engage and the Creative Engagement Group into a ‘unified global strategic, commercial and creative engagement partner’.

Russ Lidstone and Charlotte Morris