SO What Global launches patient engagement venture

Specialist healthcare PR and marketing communications group SO What Global has launched a new communications offering dedicated to helping pharmaceutical companies become more patient-centric.

SO Patient is based in London and sees the group's global director Moira Gitsham team up with co-founder of the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) and patient engagement consultant Kathy Redmond to deliver the new, targeted service.

Scott Clark, chief executive of SO What Global, said that his team recognised that “an exclusive patient-focused offering, as opposed to a bolt-on service, is needed to bring the patient journey to life and ensure patient needs are front and centre of communications”.

He added: “The team we have assembled is genuinely second-to-none in this area and I am confident that Kathy and Moira will make a positive impact from day one.”

The stand-alone network agency will provide clients with strategy development, digital solution, insights, resources and campaign management all directed at improving communications with patients and fostering strategic alliances with patient organisations.

Redmond hopes that SO Patient will provide pharmaceutical firms with the tools and direction to “walk the talk in patient engagement”.

She explained: “So many pharma companies today claim to be patient-centric, but this is all too often an empty promise.

“SO Patient aims to help companies … develop patient-centric strategies that not only meet the real world needs of patients and add value, but also allow them to differentiate from competitors.

“Our unparalleled patient insight and tailored services along with synergies across the So What group will help companies reap the many benefits of high quality patient engagement.”

SO What was set up by Tonic Life Communications co-founders Scott Clark and Oliver Parsons in 2015 with Gitsham joining the fold earlier this year. In addition to SO Patient, it encompasses sports marketing and reputation consultancy SO Active and medical education agency SO Healthy.