SAN FRANCISCO — W2O Group has acquired medical and scientific communications firm Arcus Medica, the latest move in the healthcare-focused agency's push to expand capabilities and reach.

“We only really add things at this firm that our clients really ask us to add,” said founder and CEO Jim Weiss. He said there have been requests “over and over and over” that the firm beef up its expertise in science communications. Arcus does this by helping audiences better understand the intricacies of healthcare products and the science behind them, he added.

“All the scientific advances are what leads to the drugs and procedures and practices you see every day," Weiss said. “Having experts who really understand that is really the reason we added Arcus in particular.”

Philadelphia-based Arcus brings a team of 40 individuals, including 16 doctor-level experts, who specialize in translating complex clinical and scientific data into content that’s accessible to consumers. The firm's co-founders: Mary Seideman, MD, PhD; Stan Eapen, PharmD; and Jonathan Seideman, PhD; will all take leadership roles at W2O Arcus. The new entity will be part of the larger W2O organization, and work with W2O’s scientific strategy team.

There will likely be more moves to come, Weiss said, adding that “we will buy more, and acquire more and partner more.” The company is currently talking to firms in Europe to further international reach, as well as agencies with capabilities to communicate science through visuals.

All of which is very much in line with a series of moves W2O Group has made in recent years to accelerate its growth. In May, W2O sold a piece of the company to New York investment firm New Mountain Capital, which marked the second round of funding the company has received to further its expansion.

In turn, Mountaingate Capital, the private equity firm that first partnered with W2O in 2016, ended its relationship with the agency. W2O Group used Mountaingate’s investment to fund its strategic growth, which included three acquisitions — Pure Communications, Marketeching and Sentient — as well as expanding staff and offerings. Since that time, the firm as doubled its revenue from $100m to more than $200m and its staff, which is up to nearly 800 people, according to the firm.