Omnicom Health Group acquires Elsevier's Pharma Communications business in Japan

Encompassing over 3,200 dedicated healthcare communications specialists, Omnicom Health Group (OHG) is organised around four customer groups—healthcare professionals, patients, payers, and medical, evidence and regulatory stakeholders.

Its decision to acquire the Pharma Communications business in Japan under Elsevier, part of RELX Group, follows on from its success within the healthcare communications business for over 30 years.

The acquired business and employees will become part of a newly-named healthcare marketing communications agency, EMC K.K, which will be a 100% owned subsidiary of Omnicom Group. The acquired unit's management team also joins EMC, with Takao Ozawa promoted to Managing Director. He will report to David Stark, CEO of Omnicom Health Group Asia Pacific (OHG AP).

EMC further strengthens OHG's roster of leading healthcare agencies in Japan, which also includes Targis, Rx Healthcare, Polaris Consumer Health, CDM Tokyo, and the digital marketing and healthcare market research company MCI.

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"Our clients' resolve to extend global initiatives to Japan and their desire to partner with us is due to the excellent reputation of our companies, which has created a huge opportunity for us to grow our business," said Ed Wise, CEO, Omnicom Health Group.

"The addition of EMC's talented healthcare specialists, and their long term good standing in the market enables us to meet growing client demand and maintain the best service offering in Japan."

"The brand name EMC commemorates a proud 38-year history delivering excellence in medical communications as the pharma communications business unit of Elsevier Japan," explains David Stark, CEO of OHG AP.

"EMC's outstanding talent adds significant medical communications capacity to Omnicom Health Group in Japan. With EMC, we now have unmatched scale, depth and breadth of dedicated healthcare communications services, making us the best partner for clients and helping us deliver on our mission: Communications for a Healthy Life."