NEW YORK — Evoke, the Huntsworth-owned healthcare agency, has acquired New Jersey-based Navience Healthcare Solutions, furthering the umbrella company’s larger focus on healthcare services.

Navience’s expertise is in helping pharmaceutical and healthcare companies navigate the complexities of market access. The $24m acquisition is expected to be completed in early October.

Principal John Shamsey will continue to lead Navience, reporting to Evoke CEO Reid Connolly (pictured). The agency will now be called Evoke Navience.

"The influence of the payer, in the medical decision-making process and to the success or failure of any given product in today's healthcare landscape, cannot be overstated," Connolly said. "This influence affects the strategies and solutions we offer clients across all audiences and channels. That's why Navience is such an ideal fit within our agency, adding incredible value to the marketing and communications expertise our client partners require."

The acquisition is part of Huntsworth’s increased focus on healthcare, which was set into motion after the company took financial hits in its comms revenue over the last couple of years. Huntsworth bolstered its healthcare offering in July with its acquisition of San Francisco agency Giant Creative Strategy.

Huntsworth now has two distinct areas of focus: healthcare, which is made up of medical, marketing and immersive divisions; and communications.