NEW YORK, July 10—Marina Maher Communications has named Jorge del Mazo as executive vice president, healthcare. Most recently, del Mazo was a senior managing director at Belsito & Company Medical Communications where he was instrumental in developing a post-approval communications program for the biotetchnology sepsis drug Xigris, produced by Elli Lilly. 
 
Del Mazo will spearhead a growing healthcare division ay MMC, which has been expanding beyond its traditional niche in fashion and beauty. In recent years, the firm has added healthcare clients including GlaxoSmithKline, Schering-Plough, Johnson & Johnson, TwinLab and Inverness Medical. Del Mazo’s mission will be to build on the firm’s experience, with a focus on client seeking to revitalize pharmaceutical and over-the-counter brands in crowded disease categories.
 
“Jorge comes on board at a critical juncture for MMC,” says agency president Marina Maher.   “His solid medical communications experience combined with MMC’s consumer health and branding know-how will offer unique services to a healthcare industry that increasingly relies on branded and differentiated scientific disclosures to a wide variety of targeted audiences.”
 
Del Mazo’s range of expertise runs the gamut from ethical product marketing to healthcare public affairs. He also has solid experience in launching biotechnology products including Retavase and Procrit, and developing corporate positioning programs for emerging biopharmaceutical companies including Allos Therapeutics, Alkermes and Targeted Genetics.
 
Prior to Belsito, he held senior positions at agencies such as GCI Group, where he was managing director of a New York healthcare practice, and at Edelman Healthcare, Porter Novelli and Nelson Communications.