The new agency will be called Ogilvy Healthworld and will be headed by Steven Girgenti, global chairman and chief executive at Healthworld Communications.
In Europe, where Ogilvy Healthworld will have 15 offices, Margot James, who was head of Ogilvy Healthcare as well as being a parliamentary spokesperson for the Conservative Party, takes the role of regional president.
James said: "The fit is very good. There is very little duplication and an awful lot of filling in of gaps."
WPP acquired Healthworld Communications when it bought its parent company Cordiant, owner of Bates Worldwide, in 2003. Healthworld has a strong presence in the US and Asia, while Ogilvy Healthcare is more established in Europe.
Ogilvy Healthworld offers integrated marketing communication and medical education services to the pharmaceutical industry.
Healthcare communications is a growth area in the marketing services industry and major ad groups such as WPP, Havas and Publicis Groupe have all been expanding their healthcare offerings.
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