Sudler & Hennessey acquires HealthAnswers Education

15 Apr 2003

Sudler & Hennessey (a WPP company) has acquired Pennsylvania-based HealthAnswers Education, a leading developer of sales training and medical education programs for the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. HealthAnswers Education was a unit of HealthAnswers Inc, and will become a member of the S&H group of companies. (The former parent company, HealthAnswers Inc, and its subsidiaries will continue their activities under an alternate name.)

HealthAnswers, an industry leader in pharmaceutical/biotech sales force training, has worked for many major research-based pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the U.S., and has posted strong growth year over year, with 2002 revenues estimated at $8.2 million. Their sales training services include the design, development and delivery of programs and services to build the skills and knowledge of pharmaceutical/biotech companies’ sales representatives. The group is known for its pioneering training innovations that have become models for successful pharmaceutical/biotech launch meetings. HealthAnswers also provides clients with customized sales representative selling skills programs. The group provides pre- and post-launch training for sales representatives, sales managers and trainers through engaging, interactive workshops, online distance learning, live and virtual preceptorships and satellite conferencing.

HealthAnswers also develops and implements medical education strategies that help clients differentiate their brands and build lasting relationships with their customers. The group utilizes a proprietary product, HealthAnswers CE, which allows clients to offer online continuing education and continuing medical education courses – tracking the results of each program. The group further enhanced its position in December 2001 when the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) awarded the group’s FCG Institute for Continuing Education a six-year term of full accreditation with commendation, the longest period of accreditation offered to providers.

“HealthAnswers is a wonderful complement to the S&H family of companies,” said Jed Beitler, Worldwide CEO of Sudler & Hennessey. “Their programs assist pharmaceutical companies in the delivery of key information to physicians through medical education and improved utilization of their significant sales force investment. They offer our network another strong provider of top-quality physician education programs and, most important, they also bring a significant new discipline into our network in the US: sales force education and skills training. This new capability allows us to extend our offerings and provide an increased level of support to our clients.”

Mark Samuel, President of HealthAnswers, added: “We are very excited to be joining Sudler & Hennessey. The S&H network offers us access to a broad range of additional resources, and we’re looking forward to utilizing those resources to enhance our programs and enhance the success of our clients’ brands. Especially important, the S&H network shares our keen dedication to delivering the highest level of scientific and marketing communications; we share common goals for helping our clients achieve their business objectives.”

Mark Samuel will remain as President of HealthAnswers, an S&H Company, and all other HealthAnswers Education Division management and staff will continue to service their current client base. They will remain in their current location.

Sudler & Hennessey has, for more than 60 years, been a leader in healthcare marketing and communications. Founded in the early 1940s by Matt Hennessey and Art Sudler, the company was a pioneer in this industry and revolutionized the approach to ethical healthcare advertising. Over the years, the company has grown into a formidable force in the industry, with offices around the world and ever-expanding creative and strategic offerings. S&H is a Young & Rubicam company, and part of the WPP Group.