Singapore-based medical information firm MIMS expands to US, Europe through tie-up

SINGAPORE-BASED medical information company MIMS and a unit of London-listed UDG Healthcare have announced a tie-up to extend each firm's global network, according to a joint statement on Monday.

The deal between MIMS and Ashfield Healthcare Communications will see them marry their compliance-based market-specific experience to work on technical healthcare communications material worldwide.

MIMS, which was bought over by Japanese healthcare information player for 11 billion yen (S$140 million) in September 2018 (see amendment note), is in 16 markets across the Asia-Pacific, while Ashfield, a division that contributed more than two-thirds of Dublin-based UDG's fiscal 2018 operating profit, operates in 25 countries, mainly in Europe and the Americas.

Victor Wright, MIMS's chief client officer for pharmaceutical marketing, said in a statement: "The collaboration will provide us both with additional expertise and territories, opening up fantastic opportunities to deliver the best for our international pharmaceutical, biotech and medical devices clients."

Meanwhile, Ashfield Healthcare Communications president Doug Burcin said that the strategic partnership "provides unprecedented expertise and cross-collaboration of healthcare communications by both parties".

The latest alliance comes two weeks after Ashfield said on Jan 9 that it would partner healthcare agency network Argon Global Healthcare Network to manage brands for clients.

Amendment note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that MIMS is co-owned by Japan's Mitsui & Co and SMS Co. Since September 2018, it has been owned solely by SMS. The article has been corrected to reflect this.