Nexus Health Acquires Stratis Group in Major Life Sciences Data Play

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 17, 2026 – Nexus Health, the strategic consulting and market access arm of The Lockwood Group, today announced its acquisition of Stratis Group, a Florida-based firm specializing in commercialization strategy and advanced analytics. The move significantly expands Nexus Health’s capabilities in an increasingly complex and data-dependent life sciences market, signaling a deeper push into integrated, end-to-end client solutions.

The acquisition brings Stratis Group’s expertise in patient services, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), and Real-World Evidence (RWE) generation under the Nexus Health umbrella. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We're thrilled to welcome Casey, Joe, and the entire Stratis team to Nexus Health,” said Andrew Gottfried, CEO of Nexus Health. “Stratis has built a reputation for deep strategic expertise and nimble execution across commercialization and market access challenges. This acquisition expands our integrated service offerings through deep quantitative analytics and strengthens our ability to partner with life sciences organizations at every stage of product development, launch, and growth.”

A Strategic Play in a Competitive Arena

This acquisition is the latest in a series of strategic moves by parent company The Lockwood Group, which has been aggressively expanding its portfolio since receiving a private equity investment in 2021. The pattern of acquisitions—including medical animation studio Random42 (2022), market access consultancy Advantage Point Solutions (2024), and oncology-focused medical education firms IDEOlogy Health (2025) and Total Health Oncology (Feb. 2026)—points to a deliberate strategy to build a comprehensive, full-service powerhouse for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device clients.

By folding Stratis Group into Nexus Health, Lockwood is reinforcing its market access platform, a critical battleground in the life sciences consulting space. The move positions the firm to compete more effectively against both global consulting giants and specialized industry boutiques. The goal is to create a “one-stop shop” that can guide a product from clinical development through to commercial success and lifecycle management, a proposition increasingly attractive to pharma companies looking to streamline vendor relationships and ensure strategic consistency.

“With the addition of Stratis, we are further strengthening our market access platform and expanding the strategic capabilities we can deliver to life sciences clients,” commented Matthew Schecter, Founder & CEO of The Lockwood Group. He noted that under Andrew Gottfried’s leadership, Nexus Health has built “strong momentum over the past year,” which this deal is set to accelerate.

Data as the New Currency for Market Access

The strategic rationale behind the acquisition is rooted in the evolving demands of the healthcare market. Payers, regulators, and health systems are placing unprecedented pressure on life sciences companies to prove the value of new therapies, particularly high-cost specialty drugs in areas like oncology and cell and gene therapy. This has elevated the importance of HEOR and RWE, which use economic and real-world data to demonstrate a product's effectiveness and impact beyond the controlled environment of a clinical trial.

Stratis Group, founded in 2014, carved out a niche by combining advanced analytics with customer research and market insights to optimize these outcomes. Its service portfolio, including forecasting, brand analytics, and market access optimization, directly addresses the industry’s need for robust, data-driven value propositions. By integrating these capabilities, Nexus Health can now offer more sophisticated solutions to help clients secure favorable reimbursement, navigate health technology assessments (HTA), and justify pricing.

This shift from supplemental insight to core evidence is transforming how drugs are commercialized. The ability to generate and interpret complex data sets is no longer a luxury but a necessity for achieving and maintaining market access.

Improving Outcomes by Focusing on the Patient Journey

Beyond satisfying payers and regulators, the acquisition also deepens the company's focus on the patient. The modern healthcare landscape is fraught with access hurdles for patients, including complex prior authorization requirements, step therapies, and high out-of-pocket costs. Stratis Group’s expertise in patient support services and field reimbursement management is designed to help patients navigate this challenging journey.

The integration promises to create more seamless strategies that connect high-level market access goals with on-the-ground patient support. This ensures that once a drug is approved and has a path for reimbursement, patients can actually start and adhere to their prescribed treatment.

Stratis Group’s co-founders expressed optimism that joining a larger organization will amplify their impact. “Joining forces with Nexus Health and The Lockwood Group allows Stratis to scale market access solutions quicker than we could as a standalone organization,” said Casey Cormier, Principal & Co-Founder of Stratis Group.

His partner, Joe Musumeci, added that their “shared vision of science-driven, client-centered solutions will deliver greater strategic value to clients and help ensure better patient outcomes in an increasingly complex health care landscape.”

The Human Element: Integrating Expertise for Future Growth

While the strategic fit appears strong on paper, the ultimate success of the acquisition will hinge on the effective integration of people and culture. In the consulting world, the primary asset is human capital—the specialized knowledge, experience, and client relationships of the team. The true value of the deal lies in successfully merging Stratis Group's talent into the Nexus Health and Lockwood Group ecosystem.

Such integrations are not without challenges. Merging distinct company cultures, aligning operational processes, and retaining key personnel are critical hurdles. Clients of both firms will be watching closely to see how the combined entity delivers on its promise of enhanced value without disrupting existing projects and relationships.

However, the potential upside is significant. By bringing together diverse skill sets and fostering a collaborative environment, the unified company can create a more innovative and resilient team capable of tackling the industry's most pressing commercialization challenges. As life sciences firms face mounting pressures to deliver value across the entire healthcare continuum, the demand for such integrated, data-fluent partners is only expected to intensify, reshaping the consulting landscape for years to come.