Indegene buys BioPharm for $106 million to boost AI-driven pharma marketing

Healthcare technology company Indegene has agreed to acquire BioPharm Communications, a Pennsylvania-based marketing services agency and part of Omnicom Health Group, for $106 million. The deal, carried out through Indegene’s US subsidiary ILSL Inc., will expand the Indian firm’s commercialisation and AdTech capabilities at a time of increasing disruption in the pharmaceutical sector.

BioPharm, which employs over 90 people in the US, generated revenues of $38.13 million in 2024. The agency works with 17 of the global leading 25 biopharma companies and specialises in healthcare provider marketing that combines omnichannel strategy, data analytics, automation and targeted engagement.

“This acquisition reinforces our position as the preferred tech-native commercialisation partner for the life sciences industry,” said Manish Gupta, chairman and CEO of Indegene.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP acted as legal counsel to Indegene in the transaction.

The move comes against a backdrop of shifting market conditions. On 1 October, US President Donald Trump imposed 100% tariffs on both patented and generic pharmaceuticals.

The new measures are expected to alter pricing dynamics and intensify competitive pressures for global pharma companies. The timing of the acquisition, therefore, reflects a strategic effort by Indegene to widen its presence in North America, a region that accounts for the largest share of biopharma spending.

Founded in 2005 in Pennsylvania, BioPharm has built its reputation on creating bespoke marketing campaigns for pharmaceutical and biotech brands. Its proprietary suite includes Peer-to-Peer360°, which engages healthcare professionals; brand360°, designed to differentiate products and build awareness; and Insights360°, which tracks engagement through a CRM-based platform. These tools align with Indegene’s ambition to leverage data and technology for commercialisation.

Indegene framed the acquisition as a response to changes in how physicians and healthcare professionals interact with the industry. “This acquisition is especially significant as many pharma companies have the twin agendas of managing mature and growth product portfolios and ramping up capabilities for new launches in an environment where physicians increasingly favour no-rep engagement models,” the company said.

The broader context highlights a shift in the life sciences sector. Traditional healthcare agencies have faced challenges keeping pace with the rapid evolution of digital expectations. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly looking for specialised providers that can integrate AI, data-driven insights and automation into their engagement models.

“Amid changing market dynamics, evolving regulatory complexities, and discerning HCP preferences in an AI-first era, more and more pharma companies are looking to transform their commercialisation processes to make bold bets and be truly future-ready,” Indegene noted in a press release.

The firm emphasised that bringing together its own data and technology stack with BioPharm’s marketing capabilities could deliver stronger campaign outcomes. “The powerful combination of Indegene and BioPharm brings together vast, rich data assets that will drive significantly higher Media ROI and enable more effective Agentic Operations,” the company stated.

Indegene has positioned itself as a “tech-native” life sciences player working with the world’s top 20 biopharma companies across the clinical, medical and commercial value chain. It says its differentiation comes from integrating domain knowledge, contextualised technology and operational execution, built over more than 25 years. The acquisition of BioPharm adds another layer of regional expertise and established client relationships in the US market.

The deal also underscores how consolidation and capability-building are shaping the life sciences services sector. As biopharma companies confront more complex regulatory scrutiny, tighter physician access and the need to balance mature portfolios with launch strategies, agencies are under pressure to provide scalable, technology-enabled solutions. BioPharm’s absorption into Indegene signals that scale alone may not be enough; firms must also offer specialised data and AI-driven models to meet client expectations.

The acquisition highlights the widening gap between traditional healthcare communications networks and newer tech-first players. The transaction reinforces that pharma clients are likely to reward partners who can combine scientific understanding with advanced digital tools, particularly in the US market where engagement models are undergoing rapid change.

As tariffs reshape the economics of pharma trade and companies seek to optimise launch pipelines, Indegene’s $106 million acquisition of BioPharm shows how marketing and AdTech are becoming as critical to pharma strategies as R&D pipelines. For global brands and agencies alike, the challenge will be to keep pace with a marketplace where engagement formats, regulatory expectations and commercial models are being redefined simultaneously.