PHILADELPHIA, Aug.  11, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CMI Media Group, a leading global healthcare media strategy, planning, innovation and buying agency and part of WPP (NYSE:WPP), today announced the formal launch of its

CMI Media Group Launches Specialized Rare Disease Center of Excellence (COE) to Scale Precision Marketing for Niche Pharma

CMI Media's Rare Disease COE expands WPP's healthcare services footprint

<section class="insight" data-version="1">
  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>PHILADELPHIA, Aug.  11, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CMI Media Group, a leading global healthcare media strategy, planning, innovation and buying agency and part of WPP (NYSE:WPP), today announced the formal launch of its</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>CMI Media Group, a WPP unit, launched a Rare Disease Center of Excellence to deliver micro-precision audience targeting for niche therapies. The COE leverages AI, proprietary data, and partnerships with patient groups to streamline diagnosis and engagement in rare diseases, potentially expanding WPP&#039;s share of pharmaceutical marketing spend as rare-disease brands grow.</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>CMI Media Group, a WPP unit, launches Rare Disease COE.</li><li>COE targets micro-precision audience strategies for rare therapies using AI and data.</li><li>Nearly 50% of new drug approvals are rare/orphan diseases.</li><li>CMI has launched 67 rare-disease brands to date across multiple therapeutic areas.</li><li>Partnership with Bionews Patient Advisory Board emphasizes patient-centric insights.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>WPP plc (WPP)</strong>: Parent company; COE expands WPP&#039;s healthcare marketing capabilities.</li><li><strong>CMI Media Group (N/A)</strong>: WPP unit launching Rare Disease COE; expands service lineup.</li><li><strong>Bionews (N/A)</strong>: Partners on patient advisory board; enhances patient-centric narrative.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>The article reflects Corporate Developments within the Industry News context, highlighting a strategic capability expansion by a WPP subsidiary to capture growth in healthcare/pharma advertising.</p>
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  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>WPP gains a structured, AI-enabled rare-disease capability via its subsidiary.</li><li>Potential for increased pharma client wins in high-growth rare-disease market.</li><li>Strategic Bionews partnership signals emphasis on patient-centric data.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Date of release: Aug 11, 2026.</li><li>COE launched by CMI Media Group, a WPP company.</li><li>CMI has launched 67 rare-disease brands to date.</li><li>Nearly 50% of new pharmaceutical approvals are rare/orphan.</li><li>CMI Media Group is a WPP company.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>Bullish: COE expansion may lift healthcare revenue for WPP within 6–12 months.</p>
  </section>
</section>


<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p align="left">PHILADELPHIA, Aug.  11, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CMI Media Group, a leading global healthcare media strategy, planning, innovation and buying agency and part of WPP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WPP">WPP</a>), today announced the formal launch of its Rare Disease Center of Excellence (COE). Designed to bridge the gap between niche boutique shops and large-scale media agencies, the Rare Disease COE delivers micro-precision audience strategy, tailored data integration, and high-touch execution tailored specifically to complex, low-incidence therapies.</p>  <p>With nearly 1 in 2 new pharmaceutical drug approvals now tied to orphan or rare disease conditions, the market requires specialized capabilities to identify hard-to-reach patient populations and navigating complex clinical pathways. CMI Media Group’s Rare Disease COE addresses these challenges by uniting deep domain expertise with cutting-edge AI tools, proprietary audience intelligence, and curated media ecosystems.</p>  <p><strong>Deep Experience in Complex Therapies</strong></p>  <p>While the COE formalizes a dedicated operating framework, CMI Media Group brings extensive experience in the space, having already successfully launched over 67 rare disease brands across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including Nephrology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Hematology, Immunology, Pulmonology, and Rheumatology.</p>  <p>&#34;Rare diseases require a fundamental shift in strategic planning—you aren&#39;t looking for mass scale, you&#39;re finding &#39;needles in a haystack,&#39;&#34; said Dr. Susan Dorfman, President &amp; CEO, CMI Media Group. &#34;Clients shouldn&#39;t have to choose between a high-touch boutique agency that understands their therapeutic nuances and a large network with buying power and advanced data infrastructure. Our Rare Disease COE brings the best of both worlds to lower time-to-diagnosis and drive meaningful outcomes for patients.&#34;</p>  <p align="left">As part of the rare disease expertise CMI Media Group provides clients, the agency has partnered with Bionews’ Patient Advisory Board on thought leadership initiatives. Bionews is the leading rare disease news and community network, built on over a decade of serving and supporting patients and caregivers. Bionews rare disease patient, advocate and health and wellness coach, MA, Tanita Allen said: "As someone living with Huntington’s disease, I know that words matter. I appreciate when organizations truly listen to the rare disease community and use our feedback to create meaningful change. Being heard is important, but seeing that feedback put into action is what makes patient advocacy feel truly impactful."</p>  <p><strong>Navigating the Care Pathway with Micro-Precision</strong></p>  <p>CMI Media Group’s dedicated framework addresses the distinct realities of the rare disease journey through micro-precision targeting and advanced HCP reclassification—leveraging claims data, procedure codes, specialty pharmacy data, diagnostic test orders, and custom research conducted by its proprietary Audience Intelligence team to map complex referral pathways and distinguish prescribers from referrers. By engaging Key Opinion Leaders, medical societies, and advocacy groups, the agency helps overcome symptom under-recognition and payer hurdles to accelerate time-to-diagnosis, empowering patients, caregivers, and physicians to move from concern to confident action.</p>  <p>The Rare Disease COE is currently active across internal planning teams and new business initiatives, supported by dedicated talent pools, AI-enabled tools, and strategic partnerships across the rare disease ecosystem.</p>  <p>To learn more about CMI Media Group and its Rare Disease Center of Excellence, visit <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=nSloZgxzMSkGnjNxd3YVELcf_gqTL6iR1TbUcwKuZpfsJte9fmf5FaSqIivI3P1o-KwJ5g89WkMt2jCru5kFW7vHEaYFlsKBG_PZQFeU_jpTTLdkRyuzoiRqOj6ktwNX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><u>www.cmimediagroup.com</u>/services</a> or email <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=zfCoBe3FxONTPweYpTbizIByfyABL7Lz6e_0eoZ7bPxpZoFwgYgmVoUGO6PqFOZQw3BoKU44APc9mcIw6hbnk6hziKUhtQ0fSLKKfnuVGLE=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RD@cmimediagroup.com</a>.</p>  <p><strong>About CMI Media Group</strong><br></br>CMI Media Group, a WPP company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WPP">WPP</a>, <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=SCWAmXdY_JEYHM2eMskOUYsVQJxBR695hzSuCKFkE_d72StwPyc_GrhdXZ_5veNjtj2S1abnWOtbtCffHt3-wH2_BkolqCoXmNCnsTn4luE=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.wpp.com</a>)), is a global, full-service media agency focused solely on health, wellness, and pharmaceutical marketing. CMI Media Group’s core offerings include Audience Strategy, Planning, Development, and Insights; Data and Analytics; Buying and Investment; and Direct Response and Customer Experience. As the leading media resource for the world’s top healthcare companies, CMI Media Group brings together leading technology, data, and talent to deliver seamless capabilities for clients.  CMI Media Group has been recognized as a leader in inclusivity, talent retention and employee development as well as one of the industry’s best places to work. To apply for a position within our teams visit <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=WVD-aMZisbgNRgCQlCspcgc-ZaquhLBQnwHpkJaZWEeqE9TCrhyyN6WMkmr8c6kogfEUnKwy2CSKqjaJVeKAUSZYxkiljq48-qKT5oxUsaqSKHz92SscEHI-iRky7N2FG2Byyx2nXodfVRlmHtLhmw==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.cmimediagroup.com/careers/</a> </p>  <p><strong>Press contact:</strong><br></br>Carly Kuper<br></br>+1 610 731 5409<br></br><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=bG9kadgU3ltRr-692XMWYUC5axidMtizxFGFVD4aqEYIbkc3HRlUjkdcGoKidE1E9FP5m8mEhv2z1ngfE47kPF3FP9dMgY8yJQbpVSEV-K0UR8ACaJYuJf-Npp51kN03" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ckuper@cmimediagroup.com</a></p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTgwNzkzNyM3NzcwNjk4IzIyMjIwNjU="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/ODIzZWU5NDYtOGFhZS00YWUyLTg3YjQtMzAwNWJmODY2OThlLTEyMzM2MTgtMjAyNi0wOC0xMS1lbg==/tiny/CMI-Media-Group.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img><p><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d5ad0283-d1ea-49d0-9873-1130bae7a4e9"><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/d5ad0283-d1ea-49d0-9873-1130bae7a4e9/small/cmi-blue-300-jpg.jpg" border="0" width="150" height="94" alt="Primary Logo"></img></a></p>

CMI Media Group, a WPP unit, launched a Rare Disease Center of Excellence to deliver micro-precision audience targeting for niche therapies. The COE leverages AI, proprietary data, and partnerships with patient groups to streamline diagnosis and engagement in rare diseases, potentially expanding WPP's share of pharmaceutical marketing spend as rare-disease brands grow.

News insight

CMI Media Group Launches Specialized Rare Disease Center of Excellence (COE) to Scale Precision Marketing for Niche Pharma

AI summary

Sentiment rationale

Key facts

Corporate Developments