OneKey is a telephone-verified database that provides customers with healthcare practitioner and organization data including affiliations for group practices and hospitals. Following the acquisition, the OneKey service will now also allow customers to benefit from updates by SK&A research associates who make 6,000 telephone calls each day verifying and maintaining healthcare data.

“Customers will receive a strong combination of access to high-quality data with continual proactive updates to the data,” says Bill Buzzeo, VP and general manager for compliance and OneKey Solutions, Cegedim Dendrite.

According to Mr. Buzzeo, SK&A has stood out from its competitors as the only U.S. data provider to pharmaceutical companies that uses this type of model.

“It is generally recognized that between 15% and 18% of healthcare professionals will change locations in a 12-month period,” Mr. Buzzeo told Med Ad News. “By adding SK&A’s healthcare contact and site data and unique, proactive methodology utilized to ensure the high quality of this data, Cegedim Dendrite has a strong complement to our existing U.S. OneKey service offerings, further solidifying our customers’ effectiveness in the market.”

Founded 26 years ago, SK&A researches and maintains contact profiling information for more than 2 million healthcare practitioners, including 800,000-plus prescribers. Executives believe that the integration into the Cegedim Group will enable SK&A to significantly expand its market opportunity within the life sciences industry.

The newly acquired company will be commercially branded as SK&A, A Cegedim Company, and will be integrated into Cegedim Dendrite’s OneKey business unit. Dave Escalante, SK&A’s current president and CEO, will continue to lead the unit. SK&A will maintain its current operations headquartered in Irvine, Calif.

“Based on the opportunities and business plans ahead, we don’t anticipate any major or large scale changes to the number of staff,” Mr. Buzzeo told Med Ad News. “However, as with all companies, certain limited actions may occur to avoid duplication of roles as the business landscape changes and the operations of the two companies become integrated.”

The deal was finalized Jan. 7, 2010 by internal financing. These activities represent annual revenue of about $15 million and will be part of the consolidation scope of Cegedim Group for 2010.