Patient Experience Project (PEP) Joins Life Sciences Platform

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patient Experience Project, a full-service, patient-centric healthcare marketing and communications agency based in Saratoga Springs, today announced that it has partnered with strategic investors through an agreement aimed at supporting the agency's growth and evolution. PEP will combine its business with the global life sciences platform of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the healthcare industry, and JLL Partners, a leading middle-market private equity firm.

"I am excited to announce this agreement, which is a natural next chapter for an expanding and innovative business like PEP," said PEP Founder and President Dan Bobear. "It will give us the resources we need to bring additional services to our clients, advance our mission to improve the patient experience, and take the agency to the next level."

PEP will continue to operate under its existing name and management team from its locations in Saratoga Springs and Chicago. Bobear will remain as PEP's president and will manage the firm and lead its operations in the same capacity he has since its inception in 2012. "For our clients and our employees, it will be business as usual," Bobear added.  The agency plans to continue to hire and, in fact, anticipates adding a number of new employees in 2018.

"Water Street and JLL have a proven track record of growing companies by investing in infrastructure, technology, and human resources to enable that growth," said Bobear. "I am confident that PEP and our clients will see great benefit from their experience and expertise."

Water Street and JLL have significantly expanded their life sciences platform since forming it last year through the merger of Alliance Life Sciences and Health Strategies Group with The Access Group. The firms recently added Triplefin and Dohmen Life Science Services to the platform to extend its solutions to patient-centered services.  With the addition of PEP, the platform will offer customers a comprehensive portfolio of offerings, including channel, market access, patient support, marketing, communications, and regulatory solutions to improve the speed and success of bringing complex therapies to market. It will employ nearly 1,500 global professionals who will serve more than 300 of the industry's top biopharmaceutical and medical device companies.

"We are thrilled to have PEP, one of the fastest growing healthcare agencies in the country, join our platform. We share their commitment to the patient being at the center of everything we do," said Jim Lang, executive chairman of the life sciences platform. "PEP offers leading-edge approaches that enable life sciences companies to create unique solutions for patient support in complex and rare therapies. Together, we can offer patients comprehensive support, including using evidence/outcomes-based frameworks to show the value of their treatment."

About the Patient Experience Project

PEP is a full-service, patient-centric communications firm serving the healthcare, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology industries. PEP has offices in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Chicago, Illinois. PEP's nationally recognized approach centers around the collaboration with the foremost disease experts?patients themselves?to co-create authentic programs and content for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. PEP was named to the Inc. 5000 in 2017, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. For more information, visit the-pep.com.

About Water Street

Water Street is a strategic investor focused exclusively on healthcare. The firm has a strong record of building market-leading companies across key growth sectors in healthcare. It has worked with some of the world's leading healthcare companies on its investments including Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Smith & Nephew, and Walgreen Co. Water Street's team is comprised of industry executives and investment professionals with decades of experience investing in and operating global healthcare businesses. The firm is headquartered in Chicago. For more information, visit waterstreet.com.

About JLL Partners

JLL Partners is a leading middle-market private equity firm with a 30-year track record of building and transforming businesses through its financial and operational expertise. Since its founding in 1988, JLL Partners has committed nearly $5 billion across seven funds, creating value for its partners and investors. It has developed significant expertise in the healthcare, financial services, building products, business services, aerospace and defense sectors. More than half of JLL's investments are in healthcare. The firm is headquartered in New York. For more information, visit jllpartners.com.

SOURCE Patient Experience Project