UDG Healthcare acquires two New York-based companies to expand services

International healthcare services provider, UDG Healthcare, has acquired New York-based disruptive creative communications agency, Create NYC, and strategic commercialisation consulting and analytics business, SmartAnalyst, for up to $82.4 million.

“We are delighted to announce these two acquisitions, which further expand the services we offer our healthcare clients. Create NYC adds innovative, creative services within Ashfield Communications and SmartAnalyst expands Ashfield’s advisory pillar, adding new capabilities in strategic consulting and the high growth area of Health Economics and Outcomes Research,” revealed Brendan McAtamney, CEO of UDG Healthcare. “Both transactions meet all of UDG’s acquisition criteria — they are a good strategic and cultural fit; meet our target financial hurdle rates; and involves an expansion of our current capabilities.”

Create NYC offers tactical execution of sales and marketing materials for pharmaceutical clients with an on-demand model that enables a rapid response time. This business will become part of Ashfield Communications (one of the divisions that makes up operations of UDG Healthcare).

SmartAnalyst is a US-based strategic consulting and analytics business focused on the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. The acquisition of SmartAnalyst is in line with Ashfield’s strategy to expand its advisory service proposition for its healthcare clients and follows the acquisitions of STEM in October 2016 and Vynamic in July 2017.