* News & Events *

Seng becomes the first non-physician bestowed with the SAM Award for contributions to advance the understanding and treatment of Progeria, an ultra-rare rapid ageing condition

BOSTON (April 30, 2018) – GLOBALHealthPR, the world’s largest partnership of independent health and life-science communications agencies, today announced its co-founder and chair, John J. Seng, has been awarded the 2018 SAM (Science And Medicine) Award by The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF). Seng received the honor for his contributions towards finding the cause, treatment and cure for children with Progeria, a rare, fatal genetic condition of accelerated ageing in children. Seng accepted the recognition on Saturday, April 28, at PRF’s Night of Wonder bi-annual gala in Boston.

Seng is the founder of GLOBALHealthPR, as well as Spectrum Science Communications, a leading health and science public relations agency in the United States. Long considered an influential leader in the healthcare communications landscape, Seng’s vision has remained consistent since day one: to lead an agency focused solely on health and science communications, affording the freedom to put clients first and empowering employees to do their best work, all to the benefit of the patients.

“John has been an amazing friend to PRF, Sam and all children with Progeria worldwide,” said Leslie Gordon, Co-Founder and Medical Director of The Progeria Research Foundation. “For the past 15 years, John has been instrumental in advancing PRF’s mission to discover treatments and the cure for Progeria. The efforts of Spectrum and GLOBALHealthPR have helped us tell the stories of our scientific progress, raise money for research and identify patients in all corners of the world living with this incredibly rare disease. We’re proud to call John a tremendous partner and to acknowledge his remarkable leadership, passion and commitment as we present him with the SAM Award in recognition of the many lives, past, present and future, that he and his teams have touched.”

John and Spectrum, along with the GLOBALHealthPR partners, have been involved in spreading the news throughout the world for every major announcement of PRF’s progress, from the discovery of the Progeria gene in 2003 to the premier of HBO’s “Life According to Sam,” which tells the remarkable story of Sam Berns.

In 2009, experts estimated that as many as 200 children were living with Progeria worldwide at any given time, yet only 50 were identified and known to PRF. With this in mind, Seng led GLOBALHealthPR in spearheading the Find the Other 150 campaign in collaboration with PRF. Network partners embarked on a proactive, international campaign using traditional and social media to educate communities on Progeria and its symptoms, with the goal of leaving no child undiagnosed. The campaign has been overwhelmingly successful, helping PRF to identify children throughout the world. These newly identified children move on to enroll in the PRF International Registry, Diagnostics Program and  PRF-funded clinical treatment trials, all to advance the understanding and treatment of Progeria.

“On behalf of my colleagues at Spectrum and GLOBALHealthPR worldwide, I’m incredibly humbled to accept this award and to have had the opportunity to help make a difference in Progeria research,” said Seng. “The hope and optimism shown by children with Progeria, their families and PRF inspire me and the legions of colleagues who stand with me in the commitment to find a cure,” said Seng.

Prior to 2018, the SAM Award had been given only twice in seven years. The first recipient was Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, who led the discovery of the gene that causes Progeria; the second was Dr. Monica E. Kleinman of Boston Children’s Hospital, the Co-Chair of the Progeria clinical drug trials.

About GLOBALHealthPR^®

GLOBALHealthPR is a partnership of independently owned and operated health and science communications agencies that choose to work together based on common values. With more than 600 health-specialist communications professionals, researchers and medical advisors on staff serving more than 200 organizations globally, the agencies that make up the partnership share a belief in insights-driven strategies and a commitment to collaboration in order to provide clients the best possible counsel and execution. GLOBALHealthPR’s presence spans more than 40 countries covering Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions. For more information, visit www.globalhealthpr.com or follow us on Twitter: @GLOBALHealthPR.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amir Khan

akhan@spectrumscience.com

+1 212-899-9730

NEW YORK, 10 JANUARY 2018 – GLOBALHealthPR^®, the largest independent health and science communications agency partnership worldwide, today welcomed Johannesburg-based F/NE to its rapidly expanding global network. Founded more than 18 years ago, F/NE has built an impressive reputation as the leading independent healthcare communications consultancy in South Africa, with an extended reach into Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

With the addition of F/NE, GLOBALHealthPR adds a strong strategic presence in South Africa and across Africa, helping to address increased client demand for deep insights and seamless execution across the diverse markets in the region. The need for and investment in healthcare services in Africa remain at an all-time high, while successful communications programs require local knowledge and an ability to work across disciplines to reach a broad range of stakeholders.

“F/NE is thrilled to add our name to GLOBALHealthPR’s roster of best-in-market healthcare communications agencies as they continue to redefine the industry’s approach to building a collaborative global network focused on client needs,” said Mandi Fine, Founder and CEO of F/NE. “Our clients will now benefit from access to the top health communications consultancies internationally, in addition to our best-in-class capabilities in South Africa and across the continent.”

Founded in 2001, the GLOBALHealthPR network delivers local, regional and global healthcare communications expertise through carefully-selected partner agencies that choose to work together based on shared values, independence and flexibility. Headquartered in New York, with regional hub offices in London and Singapore, GLOBALHealthPR uniquely combines the capabilities, power and reach of the big holding company networks with the flexibility, agility, entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of independent agencies. In doing so, the network and its agencies have become trusted partners to top global biopharmaceutical companies, medical-device manufacturers, health-technology companies, advocacy and professional associations and consumer goods companies.

“GLOBALHealthPR is incredibly excited to join forces with F/NE, a firm whose strategy-first approach to health communications aligns perfectly with our existing agency partners,” said Jonathan Wilson, President of GLOBALHealthPR. “Mandi and her team have a great reputation thanks to their unparalleled understanding of the healthcare communications needs in South Africa and their delivery of innovative, multi-disciplinary solutions to address the unique challenges clients face every day.”

Currently fewer than 50 percent of Africans have access to modern healthcare facilities, though urban development and increased wealth, coupled with greater access to mobile phones and the internet, are likely to significantly change the delivery of healthcare in the coming years.

“Healthcare communications plays a critical role in South Africa and across the African continent, helping to increase health literacy and access to care in underserved communities and highlighting incredible innovation taking place in the academic and commercial sectors,” said Tim Goddard, Executive Vice President, GLOBALHealthPR. “Similar to the Latin American and Asia Pacific regions over the last decade, we anticipate a significant boom in strategic health communications needs in Africa. We are pleased to partner with F/NE as we continue to offer our clients access to the top healthcare communications agencies around the world.”

About F/NE

F/NE is a niche consultancy based in Johannesburg, South Africa that is structured as a strategic hub, with highly skilled strategists who have deep institutional knowledge of healthcare. F/NE has worked as a trusted partner to large multinational healthcare clients in building companies’ brands and reputations in South Africa, Africa and many emerging markets for more than 18 years.

About GLOBALHealthPR^®

GLOBALHealthPR is a partnership of independently owned and operated health and science communications agencies that choose to work together based on common values. With more than 600 health-specialist communications professionals, researchers and medical advisors on staff serving more than 200 organizations globally, the agencies that make up the partnership share a belief in insights-driven strategies and a commitment to collaboration in order to provide clients the best possible counsel and execution.

GLOBALHealthPR’s presence spans more than 40 countries covering Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mary Conway

mconway@spectrumscience.com

+1 212-468-5377

Traditionally, GLOBALHealthPR shares some of our favorite holiday traditions from our partners around the world. This year, we decided to share a holiday card…..about holiday cards. Each card below carries with it a taste of the culture from our partner agencies around the world, and greeting for a joyous and prosperous new year.

From all of us at GLOBALHealthPR, we wish you happy holidays, and a New Year filled with good health, peace, love, and joy – The GHPR Team

Argentina – Paradigma PEL

¡Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)

We hope for 2018 to be a year of leaving aside selfishness and accepting other views – and together we can achieve a better world!

 

 

 

 

 

Australia – VIVA! Communications

Season’s Greetings!

After our most successful year to date in 2017, VIVA! Communications can’t wait to kick off some more exciting projects in 2018 with a wide variety of health + wellness clients across Australia and beyond. We’re also looking forward to working even more closely with our GHPR partners around the world.

 

 

 

Brazil – Tino Comunicação

Boas Festas! Feliz Natal! (Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!)

Another year comes with a lot of new opportunities and challenges! Let this New Year become the most successful year of our lives.  May 2018 be full of health, joy and peace! Thanks for the partnership! Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

Canada – Energi PR

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you the best of the holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

 

 

 

 

 

France – MHC

Bonne Année 2018! (Happy New Year!)

Let us create a year of peace and health – the rest isn’t that important, is it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany – fischerAppelt

Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! (Merry Christmas and slide well into the New Year! In Germany we call it sliding into the New Year and therefore include it in the greeting phrase. It basically means Happy New Year.)

A new year is also a new beginning. We hope yours is filled with good health, joy and happiness!
 

 

 

Hong Kong – Madison Communications

Happy Holidays!

May this Christmas and the present year end on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright new year.  Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

India – MediaMedic Communications

नए साल की शुभकामनाएं ! or नूतन वर्षाच्या शुभेच्छा ! (Happy New Year!)

The beginning of every year takes you closer to your objective and dreams. We hope this New Year gets you there and your dream finally turns into reality. Listen to your inner voice and keep the faith as you walk the road to progress.

 

 

 

 

 

Mexico – PRP

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo (Merry Christmas and happy New Year!)

Each December is a great opportunity to take a look back into the year and celebrate every achievement, as well as to set new goals to make our world a healthier, happier and better place. Let´s all work together, heart by heart to make this 2018 bright and joyful.

 

 

 

 

Poland – Alfa Communications

Wesołych Świąt i szczęśliwego Nowego Roku! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year)

2017 was one helluva year for Alfa. Our staff kept having babies. Our other projects were also tougher than usual and the Polish political environment put added pressure on the PR market.  For 2018 we still wish for interesting times and challenging projects, but also a bit more rest – pretty please.

 

 

 

Portugal – Guess What Communications

Festas felizes para todos e que 2018 seja um ano repleto de boas notícias e muitos sucessos. E não percam a coolness!   (Merry Christmas to all and we hope that 2018 brings good news and a lot of successes. And don´t lose the coolness!)

In 2018, we’re looking forward to celebrating Guess What’s Ten Year Anniversary! And the FIFA World Cup!

 

Singapore – GHPR APAC Hub

Happy Holidays!

Fa lah lah lah lah, lah lah lah lah! May the spirit of Christmas be with you throughout the New Year! Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season, lah!

 

 

 

 

Spain – Berbes Asociados

Feliz Navidad y próspero año Nuevo!  (Merry Christmas and happy New Year)

2018 sounds like a really good number. We are looking forward to seeing and feeling an exceptional year, full of joy, happiness, new ideas, good surprises, positivity, enthusiasm and of course surrounded by health and communication. We hope to be able to leave a mark on our work with all of these characteristics along with the GHPR team.

 

 

 

United Kingdom – Aurora Communications

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We look forward to a 2018 of launching new initiatives and building capabilities to deliver quantified outcomes that show the difference we make to patients’ lives.

 

 

 

 

 

United States – Spectrum

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you peace, joy, prosperity and a happy new year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Kaitlin Bowen and Mark Henderson

Recently, partners from around the world gathered to learn, share and connect during the 2017 GLOBALHealthPR^® (GHPR) Annual General Meeting, held in Mexico City. One of the unique aspects we discussed in Mexico is the annual GHPR employee exchange program. We recently interviewed the participants of this year’s program to reflect on the highlights:

 As a part of the GLOBALHealthPR (GHPR) exchange program, Mark Henderson from VIVA! Communications in Australia and Kaitlin Bowen from Spectrum in the United States flew halfway around the world to “swap desks” and experience healthcare communications in each other’s home countries.

The exchange program, designed to enhance the connectivity of GHPR agencies, helps foster collaboration among the independent health and science communications network and enables agency employees the opportunity to gain insight into the drivers that affect health and science communications in other markets.

Kaitlin and Mark reflected recently on the major differences between the two countries and what they gained from their GLOBALHealthPR exchange experience.

What is the major difference you saw between the health industries in Australia and the United States?

Mark Henderson – VIVA! Communications, Australia: While in the States, I learned about medicines when I wasn’t even expecting to, as direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements often appeared on television and in magazines – this came as quite a surprise to me. I was enthralled by the advertising, but further to this, the amount of political discussion and conversation in the community around healthcare and medicines. That was intriguing, and I think it’s a good thing.

Living in Australia, we tend to become complacent about our access to free medicines and hospital care (well, free for the most part), and that shrinks the public conversation on healthcare in Australia somewhat. That is, unless one is championing a certain medicinal cause, working in the health industry or battling with a disease that requires difficult to access therapies.

On a slightly different note, I was shocked to see promotion of cigarettes in the U.S. I picked up a magazine at the airport, and was confronted with a discount offer for a new brand of cigarettes. Not just an advertisement, but a discount offer for cigarettes – how can this be allowed?

In Australia, we have so many regulations regarding cigarette advertising in attempts to decrease cancer rates –our laws include plain packaging, locked cabinets and no advertisements for cigarettes. So to see cigarettes advertised in the U.S. was confronting.

Kaitlin Bowen – Spectrum, United States: Due to the restrictions around direct-to-consumer advertising in Australia via the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct, healthcare companies and the PR and marketing agencies that support them must be creative to connect with stakeholders in meaningful ways. Empowering advocacy partners and patients is critical.

Due to this tightly regulated health communications environment, VIVA!’s work tends to be highly patient-centric, which is great. Most campaigns include regional or state-specific patient spokespeople who can provide first-hand commentary on what it’s like to live with a certain disease or condition. This, combined with dynamic content and a the knack for media relations creates  comprehensive patient case studies, videos and infographics (both still and animated) that are really easy for the media to reference and extract for use in their stories.

How does the working culture differ between VIVA! & Spectrum?

KB, USA:  Overall, the team is very collaborative and it’s often all hands on deck to do great work for our clients. Even the agency’s Principal is not afraid to jump in and help, lending her expertise and experience to all aspects of client service, including making pitch calls and proofing content.

Additionally, I found Australians to be quite direct with each other – no sugar coating feedback or direction – which helps keep projects moving along efficiently. I think it also helps boost camaraderie within the agency, which can go a long way for maintaining morale among employees and ultimately helps drive a better quality product for clients.

The VIVA! office had a similar vibe to our Spectrum offices with lots of open, collaborative space and cool, scientific imagery around the office.

I view my Spectrum team as family, so I think the VIVA! gang is pretty much our cousins Down Under – the people, culture and energy in the office space were surprisingly similar to our Spectrum team here in the U.S. That’s the great part about the GLOBALHealthPR network – the agencies are so like-minded not only in our office environments, but also in our values and what motivates us to do great work for our clients.   I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to live, work and play in Sydney for a few weeks and form long-lasting friendships with our GLOBALHealthPR partners in Australia.

 MH, AUS: Overall, both Spectrum and VIVA! work in the highly specialised healthcare PR arena, part of which allows us to craft and share the fascinating stories that create buzz and hype around healthcare therapies, medicines, medical research and science.

I was really privileged to meet so many American healthcare PR peers, and was impressed by the different stories and reasons for pursuing healthcare communications. Some of the Spectrum staff have Ph.D.’s and are trained scientists. The knowledge and experience that these experts can lend to the science of health is invaluable, and they are lovely people too!

How will you continue to build relationships across the GLOBALHealthPR network now that you’re back home?

 MH, AUS: I think the amazing thing about the exchange program is that we are visiting and partnering with not just friends, but colleagues. I’m thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to continue to grow and build relationships with all of my healthcare PR peers. It’s something truly unique to GLOBALHealthPR.

I am eager to remain in touch, and to continue working alongside and collaborating with my American counterparts, and friends in the U.S.

KB, USA: In the words of Uncle Ben from Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Because I’ve been given the amazing privilege to participate in the GHPR exchange program, I believe it’s important as partners that we continue to support and build the GLOBALHealthPR network on behalf of each of our agencies.

The beauty of GHPR is that each of us are experts in our local healthcare marketplaces, but we have that global reach and connectivity across the world through each partner agency. What’s really special is that we’re not just professional acquaintances, but friends. I remain connected to my VIVA! colleagues on Facebook and always look forward to hearing the latest client updates and the GHPR Annual General Meeting. In the spirit of the GHPR exchange program, I will continue to work to foster collaboration and best practice sharing across the network.

Kaitlin Bowen is an Account Director at GHPR U.S. partner Spectrum. Mark Henderson is the Queensland Branch Manager at GHPR Australian partner VIVA! Communications. To check out Kaitlin’s and Mark’s experiences from the GLOBALHealthPR Professional Exchange Program and other GHPR programming, use #GHPRConnects to connect and join the conversation.

 

Every year GLOBALHealthPR agencies come together for our Annual General Meeting, AGM for short, and it’s a celebrated event! Months in advance partners start circling the dates on calendars, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to learn, share and connect.

This past January we welcomed James Yi as the Executive Director for GHPR’s APAC regional office. Not only has James brought a wealth of experience in regional healthcare communications, but he’s also provided invaluable perspective on the network itself – and what he sees as our value to clients. James took a turn at the mic during the AGM, sharing his reflections from his first 100 days, and one of the first things he talked about was the strength of the network, commenting:

“A network is only as strong as its weakest agency.”

It’s an intuitive statement, but the context surrounding it is important – especially in the healthcare space. Most global holding companies lack true health expertise in many, if not the majority, of markets they operate in. This means you have non-specialist communicators implementing in a highly specialised and regulated area, leading to huge variance in the levels of success achieved locally.

At GLOBALHealthPR, health communications is all we do. Every agency that is part of our network is a true expert in both health and communications in their respective markets. Supported by a strong client-first infrastructure, our agencies work together seamlessly to deliver around the globe.

We are often approached by agencies from all over world that are interested in joining the network. Within each market we only have one partner agency, and their focus must be on healthcare. For these reasons we are highly selective about those choices – our partner relationships are built to last, and becoming a partner isn’t easy.

Every year when I come back from the AGM I think about how lucky I am to be working with a network of partners—and friends—who share my passion for healthcare and communications.  We’re bound by a common vision of building the best healthcare communications network in the world. Rome wasn’t built in a day (fun fact, Ancient Rome took somewhere in the range of 760 years to reach its peak population, or over 200,000 days); we’re only 16 years into our mission and continuing to add strength each year.

Our network is built such that it doesn’t have a weakest agency. And that’s a big piece of how we are able to deliver exceptional communications globally, regionally and locally for our clients.