Headed by MD Richard Hayhurst, MSL Health has been founded following the acquisition of US technology and healthcare agency Schwartz Communications last September.

Former nutritionist and Burson-Marsteller director Caroline Cooper has been brought in as director of the new practice.

MSL London is to launch its EMEA health arm in Geneva, in June.

Kelly Walsh, CEO, MSL London, said: 'The pharmaceutical industry has been transformed during the past five years, and the acquisition of Schwartz and merging of the teams has allowed us to create an offering in this growth area.'The agency has only focused on consumer healthcare since 2010 and Schwartz's ten-strong team of biotech, e-health medical technology and pharma experts has provided a 'holistic approach to health PR', according to Hayhurst.