PM Society Awards 2025: For every patient, every person

The 39th PM Society Awards, supported by headline sponsor Avalere Health, were held on Friday 14th March, at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London. It was an afternoon in which the industry came together for this prestigious annual event to celebrate the best creative work in pharmaceutical marketing and healthcare communications.

Current PM Society chair, Dom Marchant, began the afternoon by remembering Neil Smith, chair of the Society from 1999 to 2002, who led the awards for 20 years. Sadly, Smith passed away in January.

This year’s charity partner, Acrodysostosis Support & Research, next took to the stage to ask for support for those living with this rare disease, one of the rarest in the world. The ceremony was hosted by Sue Perkins and Alan Dedicoat, with entertainment from comedian Tom Ward.

21GRAMS took 7 Gold awards, as well as seeing Simon Kemp, group creative production director, take the award for Creative Champion 2025.

A close second on the leader board was Havas Lynx, who took 5 Gold awards, as well as winning Agency of the Year (Headcount Over 30), and the highest accolade, the Best in Show award.

Other Gold winners included Atomic Matter, who also won Agency of the Year (Headcount Under 30), CAN Advertising & T&Pm Group, Flipside with Corbin Comms, and McCann Health London, an IPG Health Company.

The most successful client companies were AstraZeneca, with 5 Gold awards, and UCB who won 4 Golds plus Best in Show. Other client winners were Bayer, Cure Usher Syndrome, Genentech, Incyte Biosciences, Karo Healthcare, and Roche.

The Agency of the Year categories this year recognised smaller and larger agencies separately. The Agency of the Year (Headcount Under 30) was hotly contested, but judges said: “Atomic Matter displayed a winning mix of strategy, creativity, and flawless execution, their polished presentation showing great things really do come in small packages. They are strongly placed for even more success in 2025.” Create Health were Highly Commended and Salt took Commended.

On the winner of the larger agency category, Havas Lynx, judges said: “This agency continues to evolve and innovate their business model to meet industry needs, whilst always striving to provide full service for its clients. They showcased wonderful creative work with a sharp focus on impact that matters.” A Highly Commended was awarded to Langland.

Creativity for Good is an annual initiative run by the PM Society that aims to find a pro bono agency partner for that year’s chosen charity. The winning agency, with their highly creative and successful campaign, was Syneos Health Communications. Other finalists included Aurora Healthcare Communications, RFA Advertising and Marketing, and Swordfish Advertising supported by xHealthcare. We are so grateful to all agencies that took part in this initiative.

At the end of the afternoon, Louis Paltnoi, Deputy Head Judge, announced Best in Show: The Unbearable Home by Havas Lynx for UCB.

“This was not an easy decision,” said Paltnoi. “Several entries were strong contenders and the quality of work this year has raised the bar. It’s inspiring to see creativity thriving in healthcare marketing, with boundaries being pushed and imaginations stretched. In an industry increasingly shaped by AI and automation, the best creative work still stands out - because it moves us. It connects. It tells an authentic story that resonates, whether with patients, healthcare professionals, or the wider public.”

The Positive Pitch and Partnership Award, now in its third year went to the Takeda Oncology UK team, led by Iain Morgan. They were nominated by Salt, Skin & Blister and Treo Strategic Consulting. Judge Lisa Parker said: “Takeda took a thoroughly disruptive approach to the pitch process, getting insights from their internal team on what was most important to them and then designing a low burden process that ensured they could pick the right agency partners based on their core needs.” A Commended was awarded to the Chiesi team, nominated by Inizio Evoke.

The PM Society Awards continues to provide a popular forum for celebrating creativity, impact, and innovation in creative communications in the pharma and healthcare sectors.

A full list of winners is available online.