Havas inks deal with Chinese healthcare communications agency MedMed

Under the terms of the deal, MedMed is poised to collaborate with existing healthcare agencies within the global Havas network: Havas Worldwide Health, Euro RSCG Life and Health4Brands. The network handles around 30 global brands such as Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis — overlapping with MedMed's own clients that include Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis, Bayer, Nestlé, and GSK.

David Jones, global CEO of Havas, commented, “China's large ageing population is an enormous market for the healthcare industry. This deal puts Havas into a leadership position in a priority growth market". 

With almost 14 years of history in mainland China, MedMed's pool of specialised healthcare marketers has now grown to over 260, with branch offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Founder and CEO Eddie Wang will serve as chairman of the new alliance.

This move follows a recent healthcare-related acquisition by Publicis, which took on Beijing-based Dreams Communication in May this year. Dreams was renamed Publicis Life Brands Dreams and folded into one of the units in Publicis Groupe's healthcare network. Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Xian-Janssen, Beijing FH Land and the Ministry of Culture were clients of Dreams.

These acquisitions are seen to capitalise on the lucrative Chinese healthcare market. IMS Health, a pharmaceutical intelligence institute, forecasts China will become the world’s second biggest pharmaceutical market by 2015.

Furthermore, the government's 12th five-year plan has vocalised a focus on reforming the local health care industry through consolidation of the pharmaceutical distribution sector and encouragement of investment in biotechnology.