Greyhealth group (ghg), a healthcare-focused agency owned by WPP that was a founding partner of Text4Baby and an early IBM Watson partner, has acquired The Lathe, a health app design and development firm, for an undisclosed amount.

"At ghg, we are focused on mobile health and believe technology and effective communication will significantly improve the lives of healthcare consumers and their providers," Lynn O’Connor Vos, CEO of ghg, said in a statement. "The Lathe has pioneered innovative mobile solutions in chronic and rare disease for many major pharmaceutical companies. Together, we will create novel solutions for key health stakeholders."

The Lathe was founded in 2003 and has worked with a number of healthcare companies to create apps and mobile responsive websites. They build apps for chronic disease management, occasional therapies, medical devices, and over the counter products. On their website, they tout an app for multiple sclerosis patients, an iPad app for asthma and allergy sufferers, and a responsive website, built for Valeant Pharmaceuticals, for parents of children with eczema. One of the firm's selling points is an understanding of pharma marketing regulations.

"We are a mobile-first entity," Seth Perlman, president of The Lathe, said in a statement. "We see a world where mobile is the primary digital access tool for healthcare. Most developers derive their mobile experiences from websites or other traditional digital tactics. We design mobile experiences first and then adapt to other digital formats."

The Lathe will maintain its current New York office and operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ghg. The company will work independently with existing clients and work together with ghg's app team for future clients.

In September, ghg acquired a minority stake in OptimizeRx, a software company that builds patient-care and e-prescribing services for pharmaceutical companies.