AT J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE, 120/80 GROUP PROJECTS ANOTHER YEAR OF RAPID GROWTH IN HELPING TO ACCELERATE THE CONVERGENCE OF AI AND HEALTH

The Consultancy Announces Executive Hires, New Research and Conference Platforms Focused on Life Sciences and AI

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- 120/80 GROUP today announced new initiatives designed to accelerate the adoption of proven artificial intelligence (AI) solutions across healthcare and life sciences. Underscoring its status as the nation's leading marketing, communications and public affairs agency focused on the convergence of health and technology, the firm has recruited three new senior leaders, launched new research and introduced a new conference platform. Taken together, these moves will enable the firm and its clients to inform, educate and advocate in support of the ethical and effective use of AI to advance human health and flourishing.

The rapid development of AI can be difficult to process and understand, even for the most informed and experienced audiences. Nowhere is this more true than in health. As a consultancy led by some of the nation's most experienced communicators across health, technology and policy, 120/80 GROUP has quickly become a strategic partner to organizations and individuals leading the effort to inform all stakeholders—consumers and patients, clinicians and provider organizations, health plans, life science companies, academics, advocates and policymakers.

120/80 GROUP's announcement took place at this year's J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.

"We live in a time of profound change where the interaction of humans with technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace," said Rob Cronin, founder and CEO of 120/80 GROUP. "As communicators of this change, we take seriously the role and responsibility to help explain what is happening, the choices we have and what it means for all of us. As we always have, our firm and its leaders will play a key role in helping our clients facilitate the deep thinking and critical conversations necessary to inform these decisions and achieve the best possible outcomes for all."

Strategic Hires
The firm has added senior talent to both of its agencies—120/80 MKTG, its original brand and the nation's leading digital health consultancy, and AOx3, its new consultancy representing companies pioneering the use of AI in healthcare. These executives will help scale the firm and support 120/80 GROUP's strategic direction, clients and operations in 2025 and beyond.

• Paula DeGangi joins as executive vice president of AOx3, adding over fifteen years of experience with a focus on healthcare communications and corporate reputation management. Paula has extensive experience elevating the reputations of science and healthcare companies. Her work has earned several prestigious awards, including SABRE and PRSA Big Apple awards for excellence in thought leadership campaigns. Prior to joining 120/80 GROUP, Paula was senior vice president at Ketchum, where she led external communications for healthcare clients.
  
  
• Sarah O'Connell joins as senior vice president of 120/80 MKTG. Sarah brings over twenty years of experience, with a particular focus on health and science communications with pharmaceutical and biotech companies across therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, virology, neurology and rare disease. Sarah joins 120/80 GROUP from Verge Scientific Communications, where she was a senior vice president and trusted marketing communications partner and strategic advisor for C-suite level client contacts across all stages of the corporate life cycle, including company launches, data milestones and initial public offerings.
  
  
• Kenneth Meyer joins as senior vice president, Media, to propel media strategy, counsel and engagement for 120/80 GROUP clients. Kenneth brings over twenty years of healthcare media relations experience to the firm, including long-standing relationships with top-tier, national business and industry media and science publications. Prior to joining 120/80 GROUP, Kenneth spent seven years at Weber Shandwick's Health Media Practice and served as a vice president within Edelman's National Health Media Team.

The 120/80 GROUP 2025 Life Sciences Innovation Index
AI is fueling innovation inside life sciences companies—from automating clinical trials to advancing personalized medicine. AI is also helping redefine what it means to be an innovator for some of the biggest brands in drug and device manufacturing. But who in life sciences is winning the race in AI innovation? And who is communicating its impact? These insights have been quantified in a new study: The 120/80 GROUP 2025 Life Sciences Innovation Index.

The study examines more than twenty Fortune 500 pharmaceutical and medical device organizations, measuring their demonstrated and communicated focus on AI-driven innovation. This includes their ability to attract and retain AI talent, as well as their performance across a broader range of metrics that begin to paint a picture of each company's commitment to AI and new technology as an engine of innovation.

In the report, the leading organizations are plotted on an axis representing multiple metrics designed to measure Substance (patents, published research, investment, talent) and multiple measures of Prominence (media visibility, brand awareness and other elements as they relate to AI). The companies' positions across the four quadrants visually convey their relative performance.

Life sciences CEOs and their leadership teams can consider their organization's scores and use them to inform their decision-making and strategic approach:

1. What is our current definition of innovation? Does it align with the market?
2. What is our recruitment rate of AI talent?
3. What is the interplay between talent, research, investments and patents?
4. Are we getting proper recognition in the marketplace?

Creating a Stage for Those Leading the Conversation About AI and Life Sciences
Later this year, the agency will host a conference focused on the intersection of AI and life sciences called AGENTIC. The event will convene at 120/80 GROUP's headquarters in midtown Manhattan. CEOs and founders, investors, researchers and others across the healthcare continuum will be in attendance and share perspectives. The agenda will feature the industry's most prominent voices as they discuss and debate the ever-changing landscape of life sciences and the promise of AI. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the transformation that is unfolding, and what to watch for as leading life sciences organizations continue to change the course of medicine for years to come.

Those looking to learn more about the AGENTIC conference can email info [email protected]. Dates and deadlines for paper submissions, a call for speakers, and attendee registration details will be announced soon.

Interested in learning how your organization is performing when it comes to AI-driven innovation? Schedule a custom briefing of the 120/80 GROUP 2025 Life Sciences Innovation Index by emailing [email protected].

About 120/80 GROUP
Healthcare is changing. New technology. New models of care. New ways of linking payment to value. New policies and regulations. New patient experiences. We operate the two consultancies that are guiding this transformation—120/80 MKTG and AOx3. If you are a leader or advisor, come talk to us and our clients. Learn more at www.12080group.com, www.aox3.health and www.120over80mktg.com.

Media Contacts:
Alex McKechnie
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SOURCE 120/80 GROUP