Centron: 2023

Centron

32 Old Slip, 32nd floor, New York, NY 10005 

646-722-8900 • cvita@centronnyc.com • centronnyc.com

Quick Facts

Accounts

• Account wins: 3
• Active business clients: 5

Brands by 2022 sales

• Brand-product accounts held: 5
• $25 million-$50 million: 1
• Products not yet approved/launched: 4

Services mix

• Healthcare professionals: 60%
• Patients/caregivers/families: 40%

Client roster

• Acadia 
• Cognoa
• Kalvista
• Mersana
• Taysha Gene Therapies 
• TG Therapeutics
• Xspray

In 2022, Centron leaders maintain they came to expect – and embrace – the unexpected.  

“We entered 2022 in a very strong position following a successful Q4 pitch season,” says Celine Vita, president. “Yet within the first few weeks we experienced key biotech accounts delay investment and even a full discontinuation of all clinical programs for one of our new clients.”

According to Vita and the agency’s other leaders, Centron navigated this complexity by staying true to its purpose: to find the simplest path to the highest good for clients, brands, and the communities they serve. “We came together as a collective and focused on bringing value to our clients and unleashing new opportunities. As a result, 2022 became a defining year in which we expanded our portfolio, our offerings, and our understanding of what we’re capable of as an agency.” 

Recent accomplishments

Agency leadership is particularly proud of the growth that came from long-term client relationships and recommendations. “The strength of our client partnerships was a highlight of 2022,” Vita says. “This resulted in the expansion of current business, a global AOR assignment that was awarded without a pitch, and a recommendation from a client that resulted in a successful AOR win.” 

The Home Suite Home streaming series received multiple creative awards in 2022.

The agency augmented these successes with its strongest pitch year yet, achieving a 100 percent win rate. Vita notes that the agency’s new business efforts added to portfolio diversity, expanding its geographic footprint from Europe to California and bringing in novel opportunities including AOR for an AI-driven digital therapeutic (a “wish list” goal for agency leadership). 

Carolyn O’Neill, chief creative officer, emphasizes that the agency has grown with brands that offer rich creative opportunities. “We love working with clients and brands that are opening a new category or approach and who are open to “firsts” outside of the conventional agency playbooks.” 

This philosophy continued to be awarded in 2022 with multiple awards for the streaming series Home Suite Home, created in partnership with Apellis Pharmaceuticals.

Structure and services

In 2022, Centron welcomed Sean Mahoney as chief client officer. Leadership maintains this newly created role reflects the agency’s commitment to next-level client partnership and integrated delivery. “We build teams to be fluent in client business, proactive in bringing forward ideas and recommendations, and to provide value in every engagement,” Vita says.

Embracing the dynamic nature of brand and client needs, the agency evolved and expanded offerings in social and community management; advocacy engagement; corporate branding and communications; and peer-to-peer engagement. 

“For patient communities, social platforms have always been a critical source for information and education,” O’Neill notes. “Over the past few years social has also become central to HCP learning and peer-to-peer exchange. Overall, social and community management have become a core part of the agency’s strategic and creative mix.” 

In 2022 the agency has also collaborated with sister medical education agency Fusion to deliver integrated peer-to-peer solutions for clients. Together, the agencies have delivered multi-format digital engagements designed to effectively connect with customers who can be challenging to reach in today’s environment.   

Future plans

Moving into 2023, Centron continues to be focused on attracting the right talent “who bring a strategic and creative mindset, regardless of discipline, and who thrive in collaboration with others,” O’Neill says.

Vita adds that the agency will, as always, stay focused on its core purpose. “Coming out of the last three years, this purpose has never been more salient. We will continue to push how we partner, work, think, and create in order to deliver on the promise of simplicity for our talent, clients, and the communities they serve.” 

Philanthropy/citizenship

For the third year in a row, Centron “Holiday Highest Good” made a donation in the name of each employee to a charitable organization of her or his choice. Employees were invited to select from a group of organizations aligned with agency values and commitment to DEI, or to suggest their own. In total, Centron employees supported seven organizations with a focus ranging from food scarcity to child welfare to civil liberties.

therapeutics
pharmaceuticals
medical
biotech
healthcare
ai