Reabold Resources Regulatory News (RBD)

28 Feb 2007 07:04

Adventis Group PLC28 February 2007 For release 7.00am February 28, 2007 Adventis Group plc (ATG.L) The Specialist Multimedia and Marketing Group Contract Gain Adventis Group plc ( "Adventis" or "the Company", ticker ATG), the specialistmultimedia and marketing group, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary,Roundhouse HealthAd ("Roundhouse"), has won a new contract from Merck Serono("Serono") ,a leading global biotechnology company, to deliver an innovativeprogramme to help improve treatment and care for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Roundhouse HealthAd has secured a groundbreaking programme with Serono in which,under the Department of Health ("DoH") Risk Share Scheme, they will deliver arange of Educational and Professional Development services to enhance thequality of patient care in Multiple Sclerosis. Commenting, Don Cowling, General Manager at Serono said: "This is new territory, where we have actively engaged with the DoH to recognisethat our responsibilities as a manufacturer extends beyond simply supplying adrug. We have set up a steering group to advise on which areas our support willmost positively have an impact on the quality of patient care". The project, initially for a term of 18 months, will closely monitor the linkbetween services and materials delivered into the healthcare system and thesubsequent outcome on improved standards of care. Mr Cowling added: "It is critical that we get this right from the outset. This is a significantinvestment, not only for Serono but for the DoH. We have a responsibility toensure that the services provided under this initiative achieve what they areintended to deliver". Said Kevin McGetrick, Managing Director at Roundhouse: "This represents an important piece of new business for the agency, and for theAdventis Healthcare services division. We are entering into uncharted territoryby engaging in an active partnership with Healthcare professionals, and willbring together all the skills contained within the group, from MedicalEducation, Professional Development right through to Market Communications." Charles Phillpot, Chief Executive of Adventis Group plc, concluded: I am delighted by this contract win with a company of Merck Serono's globalstature and believe it is a powerful endorsement of our Healthcare division'sposition as one of the industry's top three pharmaceutical industry serviceproviders. This excellent position, in combination with our property marketing division,which itself is in the top rank of the property industry's Marketing and PRproviders, gives Adventis real critical strength in two of its three divisions. Accordingly, we are energetically looking to grow our Financial Servicesdivision, which comprises NMG Ltd, Adventis Coltman Ltd and Adventis FinancialPR and we remain alert to acquisition opportunities across the range, both fromindividual practitioners and corporate entities. Ends Enquiries: Adventis Group plcCharles Phillpot, Chief Executive Officer Tel: 020 7034 4750 Roundhouse HealthadKevin McGetrick, Managing Director Tel: 01707 335 599 Arbuthnot SecuritiesTom Griffiths Tel: 020 7012 2000 Adventis Financial PRTarquin Edwards Tel: 020 7034 4758 / 07879 458 364Chris Steele Tel: 020 7034 4759 / 07979 604 687 Notes to Editors Adventis Group plc ("ATG.L")www.adventis.co.ukAdventis Group plc is an AIM listed, full service marketing and advertisingagency, providing services to the property, healthcare and financial servicesindustries. Through its eleven operating companies, Adventis provides a complete range ofcommunication services, including corporate identity programmes, advertisingcampaigns, media planning & buying, literature, public relation, packaging,exhibitions, research and planning, interiors, signage and digital media. Adventis employs around 150 staff in London and the South East. Roundhouse Healthadwww.roundhouse-healthad.comRoundhouse is a specialist creative healthcare communications company providingbespoke and innovative business solutions to healthcare companies. Roundhousehad been trading for over 10 years before its acquisition by Adventis in May2006. Roundhouse has a strong base of blue chip pharmaceutical clients whichinclude Baxter, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merial, Organon, Pfizer AH andSchering-Plough and now Merz The combination of Roundhouse with Adventis' then existing operations in thehealthcare sector through subsidiary, Affiniti (UK) Ltd, a leading mediaservices provider to the Healthcare sector has delivered an outstanding range ofskills and in depth understanding for clients. Pleasingly, Adventis' strength in the healthcare sector has been furtherbolstered recently with the acquisition in February 2007 of LeapFrog MedicalCommunications Limited ("LeapFrog"), a leading medical education company.LeapFrog, whose clients include, GSK, Pfizer, MSD, Roche and Novartis, wasestablished in 2001. Its acquisition now leaves Adventis Group's healthcaredivision as one of the industry's top three pharmaceutical industry serviceproviders. Merck Serono www.merckserono.net Merck Serono is a global biotechnology leader with revenues of US$2.6 billion in2005 and sales in over 90 countries. The Company is the world leader inreproductive health, with Gonal-f(R), Luveris(R) and Ovidrel(R)/Ovitrelle(R). Ithas strong market positions in neurology, with Rebif(R), as well as inmetabolism and growth, with Saizen(R), Serostim(R) and ZorbtiveTM. The Companyhas recently entered the psoriasis area with Raptiva(R). Merck Serono's researchprograms are focused on growing these businesses and on establishing newtherapeutic areas, including oncology and autoimmune diseases. Multiple Sclerosis ("MS") - At a glance MS is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain,the spinal cord and the optic nerves. It is usually diagnosed between the agesof 20 and 40 and is twice as common in women than in men. MS interferes with the brain's ability to control such functions as seeing,walking and talking. It is unpredictable and every person with MS will have hisor her unique set of symptoms. Symptoms may be mild such as numbness in the limbs. They may also be more severesuch as paralysis and may come and go (a pattern of relapse and remittance) overtime. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange