Company Profile: HCG

In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, one company is boldly redefining the boundaries of medical communications. HCG, a global leader in the field, has recently reorganised seven smaller agencies into a single, powerful entity with a clear purpose: to accelerate the impact of science for its pharmaceutical clients.

This strategic move positions HCG not just as a service provider, but as a true catalyst for change in an industry that touches billions of lives worldwide.

The healthcare industry stands at a critical juncture. Scientific discoveries are advancing at an unprecedented pace. From gene therapies to artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, the potential to revolutionise patient care has never been greater. However, a significant challenge persists: the gap between treatable conditions and those being treated continues to widen.

The increasing complexity of these novel therapies presents significant challenges to their integration into standard care practices. Notably, despite the remarkable medical advances they represent, recent studies indicate that fewer healthcare professionals are prescribing new treatments, with some estimates suggesting a 20-30% decrease in adoption rates for newly approved therapies over the past five years. This is where HCG steps in, positioning itself as an industry catalyst at the convergence of people, purpose, science, and technology.

Matt D'Auria, Global CEO of HCG, emphasises the company's unique position: "We're not just communicators; we're accelerators. Our role is to ensure that the groundbreaking innovations our clients create don't just improve lives, but save them. Every day, we work to maximise that impact by bridging the gap between scientific potential and real-world patient outcomes."

This bridge is crucial in a world where medical knowledge is doubling every 73 days, according to some estimates. The sheer volume of new information can be overwhelming for healthcare professionals and patients alike. HCG's mission is to cut through this noise, delivering targeted, impactful communications that drive meaningful change in healthcare delivery.

HCG's transformation is not merely a corporate restructuring; it's a calculated response to the evolving complexities of the healthcare industry. The company recognises that this change is driven by four key factors:

Science requires it: As our understanding of disease mechanisms deepens, so too does the complexity of healthcare. As D’Auria explains: "We're at a point where we understand more about the mechanisms of disease than ever before, but the gap between what's treatable and what's actually being treated is widening. Our job is to bridge that gap."

This gap is starkly illustrated by the fact that, for the thousands of diseases known to affect humans, we are still only able to treat about 10%. As science pushes forward with innovations like CRISPR gene editing, cell therapies, and personalised medicine, the challenge lies in translating these advancements into practical, accessible treatments.

HCPs demand it: Healthcare professionals are increasingly overwhelmed by the constant influx of new information and innovations. HCG's research shows that 73% of HCPs believe pharmaceutical content is not meaningful to clinical impact. As D’Auria states: "HCPs don't need more information, they need the right information, delivered in a way that directly supports clinical decision-making."

This sentiment is echoed in the growing problem of 'information overload' in healthcare. A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that 87% of physicians feel overwhelmed by the volume of new medical knowledge. HCG's role is to distil this information into actionable insights that can be readily applied in clinical practice.

Patients deserve it: Education plays a critical role in empowering healthcare professionals (HCPs) to meet patients where they are. HCG is focused on ensuring that HCPs are equipped to apply new treatment options with patient-centricity in mind.

This approach recognises that improving patient outcomes isn't just about developing new treatments, but about ensuring that HCPs have the knowledge and tools to use these treatments in ways that best serve their patients' individual needs and circumstances.

Pharma inspires it: The pharmaceutical industry's rapid innovation in R&D is pushing the boundaries of science. HCG sees this as an opportunity to redefine how these advancements are communicated and implemented in clinical practice.

From the development of mRNA vaccines to breakthroughs in immuno-oncology, the pace of pharmaceutical innovation is staggering. However, the full potential of these advancements can only be realised if they are effectively communicated to healthcare providers and patients. HCG's role is to ensure that these groundbreaking innovations translate into real-world impact.

To address these challenges, HCG has developed a specialist Powerhouse model that enables hyperconnected, targeted audience engagement and health impact. This model is built on four key areas of expertise:

Commercial & Marketing: Leveraging science-backed creativity inspired by the intersection of scientific advancement and patient need. This division focuses on creating compelling narratives that not only educate, but inspire action among healthcare providers and patients.

Medical Affairs: Harnessing data, insights, and innovation to engage audiences and empower impactful patient care. This team works to translate complex scientific data into practical insights that can guide clinical decision-making.

Publications: Generating momentum for data through impactful, audience-centric scientific storytelling. In an era of information overload, this division ensures that crucial scientific findings cut through the noise and reach the right audiences.

Regulatory: Transforming data into approvals as a sought-after regulatory counsel, bringing medicines to patients faster. This team navigates the complex regulatory landscape to accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to approved treatment.

D'Auria elaborates on this approach: "Our Powerhouse model isn't just about reorganising our internal talent into different labelled buckets. It's about creating a synergy between different aspects of healthcare communications that allows us to move medicine closer to patients and accelerate the impact of science. By breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across these four areas, we can deliver more holistic, effective solutions for our clients."

HCG's transformation is powered by several key innovations:

Data & insights that decode human behaviour: HCG boasts the industry's largest database of proprietary insights and market knowledge, allowing for deep understanding of audience needs.

Scientific storytelling that moves people: Recognising that data points alone don't inspire action, HCG focuses on crafting narratives that resonate with their audiences. This approach combines rigorous scientific accuracy with compelling storytelling techniques to create content that improves comprehension and understanding and create behaviour changes that benefits patients.

Content upcycling that optimises engagement: A unique approach to targeted, audience-centric content creation that adapts to the rapid pace of scientific advancement. This innovative method ensures that valuable content reaches its full potential, being repurposed and optimised for different audiences and channels.

Health and AI: HCG is at the forefront of harnessing AI's potential as an innovative force for good in healthcare. From predictive analytics to natural language processing, AI is being leveraged to enhance every aspect of healthcare communication.

With a commitment to ethical innovation, audience insights from HCG’s large language model (LLM)-based Omni Assist enable defining microsegments where HCG’s AI models are being designed to consider the needs of diverse populations, medical conditions, and access to care, to ensure equity and inclusivity in our strategy. Another example is AI enhanced MLR pre-screening services, which have reduced rounds of rework and resubmissions, speeding up communication. This approach has improved team productivity, allowing more focus on strategic and creative solutions for its clients.

At the heart of HCG's transformation lies a strong commitment to its core values: integrity, courage, collaboration, and drive.

This values-driven approach is particularly crucial in an industry where trust is paramount. By prioritising integrity and collaboration, HCG ensures that its communications not only inform, but also build confidence among healthcare providers and patients.

HCG’s drive to transform is motivated by industry-leading perspective on the emerging trend of “impact”, and recognition that understanding that the impact of medical communications efforts is more critical than ever. The company holds strongly that medical communications is a multiplier that connects educational efforts with desired audience understanding and advancements towards real clinical impact: changes in healthcare decision-making and improved patient outcomes. HCG is evolving its approach and primed to activate bespoke frameworks to evaluate progress against their clients’ strategic goals.

As HCG continues to evolve and adapt to the changing healthcare landscape, its focus remains clear: to move medicines closer to patients and accelerate the impact of science.

D'Auria concludes with a vision for the future: "We're not just responding to change; we're driving it. Our goal is to empower individuals with the latest advancements in health, ensuring that the incredible scientific discoveries being made today translate into real improvements in patient care tomorrow."

HCG is the healthcare communications partner for pharma and biotech that accelerates the impact of medical science.

HCG boldly defines the healthcare communications landscape at the convergence of people, purpose, science and technology, driving the impact that pharma needs to realize the promise of innovative medicines.

Our powerful cutting-edge innovations are reshaping healthcare communications:

• Data & Insights that Decode Human Behaviour
• Scientific Storytelling that Turns Heads and Moves People
• Efficient Content Upcycling that Optimises Engagement: An HCG-first approach to content creation
• Healthy.AI that seamlessly integrates Machine Learning and Human Insight

Our specialist Powerhouse model – Medical Affairs, Publications, Commercial & Marketing, Regulatory enables hyperconnected, audience-centric engagement that delivers health impact.

Together, we move medicine closer to patients.

Together, we accelerate the impact of science.

For more about HCG: Here
For HCG Thought Leadership: Here