International Society for Medical Publication Professionals

What International Society for Medical Publication Professionals does

The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) is a US-registered 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 2005 and headquartered in Tarrytown, New York. It serves medical publication and communication professionals across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies, medical communications agencies, journal publishers, and freelance medical writers. With 2,600+ members in 52+ countries and 1,500+ holders of its Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP) credential, ISMPP is the recognized standards body for the field, authoring the Good Publication Practice (GPP) guidelines (most recently GPP 2022, published in Annals of Internal Medicine) and the ISMPP Code of Ethics.

The organization's product portfolio centers on (1) the CMPP certification program — delivered via Pearson Vue's 6,600+ global test centers and OnVUE online proctoring, with digital badges issued through Credly's Acclaim platform; (2) the ISMPP Learning Hub on PathLMS, hosting the monthly ISMPP U webinar series and on-demand content archive; (3) PubsProficiency, a scenario-based learning platform co-developed with Woven Health Collective and launched in November 2025; (4) ISMPP Connect, a member community of 2,500+ experts; (5) the In Plain Cite podcast; (6) The MAP newsletter; (7) the ORION RFI/RFP efficiency platform; and (8) four regional conferences (Annual Meeting, European Meeting, Asia Pacific Meeting, ISMPP Academy). Underlying technology is conventional association infrastructure — PathLMS, LearningBuilder, Pearson Vue, Credly — rather than proprietary software.

Revenue is generated through five streams: annual membership dues ($95 student / $105 associate / $235 full), CMPP exam and recertification fees, recurring subscription products (CMPP Question Bank at $149–$249), corporate sponsorships across five tiers (Titanium, Platinum, Gold, Silver, In-Kind) with 50+ pharma/biotech/agency sponsors, and event registration fees. Go-to-market is community-led, anchored on certification, educational programming, volunteer committees across five pillars, and the annual Excellence Awards cycle.

Name

International Society for Medical Publication Professionals

Legal name

International Society for Medical Publication Professionals

Website

https://ismpp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) is a US-based 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association serving 2,600+ medical publication and communication professionals globally, offering the CMPP certification, ethical guidelines, and educational programming across pharma, biotech, device companies, and agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tarrytown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ISMPP's primary revenue stream comes from annual membership fees. Full membership is $235/year, Associate membership is $105/year (for qualifying Asia-Pacific and lower-income countries per World Bank), and Student membership is $95/year. Membership provides access to all member benefits including education, networking, and certification programs.
2. CMPP Certification and Exam Fees: Revenue from the Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP) exam. Exam fee is $595 for standard candidates and $395 for candidates in developing countries. Retake fee is $250 for the next testing window. Non-member administrative fee is $235 which includes a complimentary year of ISMPP membership.
3. Sponsorships and Advertising: Corporate sponsorship program with multiple tiers (Titanium, Platinum, Gold, Silver, In-Kind). Digital advertising in the Compass e-newsletter ($500 per ad or $2,000/month for 4 ads), website ads ($1,499 for 30 days, $2,699 for 60 days). Podcast sponsorship (6 episodes for $21,000; 12 episodes for $39,000). ISMPP U webinar sponsorship ($2,000 per webinar).
4. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from educational meetings including Annual Meeting, European Meeting, Asia Pacific Meeting, and ISMPP Academy. These conferences generate registration fees from members and non-members attending the educational programming.
5. CMPP Question Bank Subscription: Online subscription-based CMPP practice tool offering authentic retired exam questions and digital flashcards. Subscription options: 1-month $149, 2-month $199, 3-month $249. Offered in collaboration with Test Run.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

ISMPP is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers the Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP) credential, educational programming through monthly ISMPP U webinars, annual and regional conferences, and industry standards including GPP 2022 guidelines. The society provides a global community for medical publication and communication professionals across pharma, biotech, medical devices, agencies, and publishers, and operates the ISMPP Connect online community, podcast, and learning platforms.

Product overview

ISMPP is a professional membership association offering a portfolio of certification, education, and professional development products and services for medical publication and communication professionals. The core offerings include the CMPP (Certified Medical Publication Professional) certification program with its associated exam preparation tools (CMPP Question Bank, Digital Badges), mentorship program, and study resources. Educational products span the ISMPP U webinar series, Learning Hub with on-demand content, In Plain Cite podcast, and The MAP newsletter. ISMPP also provides standards resources including GPP 2022 guidelines, the Standards Handbook, and ORION for RFI/RFP processes. The recently launched PubsProficiency (in partnership with Woven Health Collective) adds a scenario-based learning platform with validated assessments. The association organizes regional meetings (Annual, European, Asia Pacific) and Academy programs, alongside professional recognition through the Excellence Awards program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CMPP: Certified Medical Publication Professional - ISMPP's professional certification credential for medical publication professionals
• PubsProficiency
• ISMPP U
• In Plain Cite
• The MAP
• ORION

Products and services

• ISMPP Membership Annual subscription membership offering individual medical publication professionals access to ISMPP education (webinars, conferences), CMPP certification support, ISMPP Connect community, Expert Directory, Career Center, and member benefits. Available in three tiers differentiated by geography and career stage.
• CMPP (Certified Medical Publication Professional) Certification Program Industry certification program with examination administered through Pearson Vue's 6,600+ global testing centers. Covers three knowledge domains: Developing a Publication Plan, Implementing a Publication Plan, and Fostering Ethical and Compliant Behavior in Publications. Includes recertification cycle, digital badges via Credly, and mentor program support.
• PubsProficiency Scenario-based learning platform developed with Woven Health Collective that provides validated assessments and training modules equipping medical publication teams with knowledge, skills, and confidence to uphold scientific communications standards.
• CMPP Question Bank Online subscription-based certification practice tool offering 150 authentic retired CMPP exam questions, full-length practice exams, domain-specific quizzes, performance feedback with analytics, and over 100 digital flashcards on clinical terminology, standards, and guidelines.
• ISMPP U (University) Monthly Webinar Series Recurring monthly webinar education series on timely topics relevant to medical publication professionals, attended live or on-demand. Included with ISMPP membership; some webinars offered open-access with separate fee.
• ISMPP Annual Meeting Flagship in-person 2.5-day educational conference for medical publication professionals, typically attracting ~700 attendees. Features keynotes, sessions, networking, and the Professional Excellence Awards ceremony.
• ISMPP European Meeting Regional European in-person conference for medical publication professionals, typically attracting several hundred attendees. The 2026 meeting set a new record of 428 attendees.
• ISMPP Asia Pacific Meeting Regional one-day Asia Pacific conference addressing region-specific publication challenges, typically attracting ~140 attendees from the APAC medical publication community.
• ISMPP Academy Meeting In-person 2-day educational program tailored specifically for biotech, small pharma, and medical device publication professionals, typically attracting ~150 attendees.
• ISMPP Corporate Sponsorship Program Multi-tier corporate sponsorship program offering pharma, biotech, device, and medical communications agencies brand visibility, employee memberships, meeting registrations, job postings, and access to educational content in exchange for financial support of ISMPP's mission.
• Digital Advertising and Podcast Sponsorship Multi-channel advertising and sponsorship inventory across the Compass e-newsletter (5,000+ subscribers), ISMPP website, In Plain Cite podcast, and ISMPP U webinars reaching the medical publication professional audience.
• Good Publication Practice 2022 (GPP 2022) Guidelines Foundational industry-standard guidelines for company-sponsored biomedical research publication, providing best practices for ethical and transparent medical publications; published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
• ISMPP Standards Handbook Comprehensive handbook providing standards and best practices guidance for medical publication professionals working across publication planning, authorship, and disclosure.
• ORION (RFI/RFP Platform) Resource platform designed to reduce inefficiencies in medical publication RFI (Request for Information) and RFP (Request for Proposal) processes between sponsors and medical communications agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 428 attendees at the 2026 European Meeting, setting a new attendance record
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Woven Health CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025ISMPP partnered with Woven Health Collective to launch PubsProficiency, a development resource for publication professionals that uses validated assessments and scenario-based modules. The program aims to support transparency, ethical rigor, and measurable outcomes in scientific communications. Woven Health Collective is also listed as an In-Kind corporate sponsor of ISMPP. The partnership represents a co-development relationship to create and deliver the PubsProficiency training platform to ISMPP members and the broader medical publication community.
• University of FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISMPP maintains an educational partnership with the University of Florida, offering tuition discounts to ISMPP members. This partnership supports professional development and career advancement for ISMPP members through access to university educational programs.
• Medical Publishing Insights and Practices Initiative (MPIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISMPP assumed leadership for MPIP (Medical Publishing Insights and Practices Initiative), an organization focused on enhancing transparency and credibility in medical publishing. This partnership strengthens ISMPP's role as the leading authority on publication ethics and transparency standards.
• Pearson VuecoreTechnology or IntegrationPearson Vue serves as ISMPP's testing partner for the CMPP certification exam, providing access to over 6,600 testing centers worldwide and OnVUE online proctoring technology. Candidates can schedule exams 24/7 at test centers or online. Pearson Vue handles all exam scheduling, administration, and delivery infrastructure.
• Credly's Acclaim PlatformcoreTechnology or IntegrationISMPP partnered with Credly's Acclaim platform to provide CMPP digital badges and certificates. The platform provides earners with digital certificates that include verified information such as badge issuer, issue and expiration dates, credential description, criteria for earning, and skills. Badges can be shared on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, email, websites, and CVs/resumes.
• AMWA-EMWA-ISMPP Joint Position StatementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISMPP co-authored the AMWA-EMWA-ISMPP Joint Position Statement on the Role of Professional Medical Writers (January 2017), along with the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) and European Medical Writers Association (EMWA). This joint position establishes ethical standards for professional medical writing.
• ISMPP CMPP Certification BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CMPP Certification Board serves as an independent and autonomous body within ISMPP responsible for the development, evaluation, supervision, and administration of all Certification Program policies, procedures, and activities. Led by an elected board including Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Trustees, and Asia Pacific Trustee.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Medical Writers Association (AMWA): AMWA is the largest US-based association for medical writers and communicators, offering its own Medical Writer Certified (MWC) credential and educational programs. Directly competes with ISMPP for medical publication and medical writer membership, with overlapping pharma/biotech/agency audiences.
• European Medical Writers Association (EMWA): EMWA is the European counterpart to AMWA, serving medical writers across Europe with educational programs and the EPDP (European Medical Writers Association Professional Development Programme). Joint co-author with ISMPP on the AMWA-EMWA-ISMPP position statement, indicating deep operational overlap and competition for European medical publication professionals.
• MAPS (Medical Affairs Professional Society): MAPS serves medical affairs professionals in pharma/biotech, an adjacent function to medical publications. Members and sponsors heavily overlap with ISMPP's pharma roster, and MAPS addresses medical communications planning from the medical affairs organizational perspective.
• Healthcare Communications Association (HCA): HCA is the UK professional association for healthcare communications professionals across pharma, agencies, and NHS. It serves a similar membership profile to ISMPP in the UK/European market, addressing medical communications, PR, and patient engagement with comparable educational programming and events.
• Council of Science Editors (CSE): CSE serves scientific editors, publishers, and writers across multiple scientific disciplines including medical publishing. Overlaps with ISMPP's journal editor and publisher member segments and addresses peer review, authorship ethics, and publication standards in adjacent territory.

Broad incumbents

• Drug Information Association (DIA): DIA is a larger, broader professional association covering the entire drug development lifecycle including regulatory, clinical, safety, and medical affairs. DIA overlaps with ISMPP on medical communications/medical writing content and shares pharma/biotech sponsors, but operates at a much broader scope.
• International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR): ISPOR is the leading professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), an adjacent discipline to medical publications. Shares pharma sponsors and academic audiences, and represents a natural extension vertical for ISMPP's standards and certification playbook.

Others

• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): ICMJE sets authorship, conflict-of-interest, and publication standards referenced by medical journals globally. While not a membership association, ICMJE Recommendations directly interact with ISMPP's GPP guidelines and represent the journal-side counterpart to ISMPP's author/sponsor-side standards.
• GPP (Good Publication Practice) Steering Committee: The independent GPP guidelines author committee (which ISMPP supports) periodically publishes updated Good Publication Practice guidelines. GPP operates as a standards-setting body within the medical publication ecosystem that ISMPP administers and promotes.

Emerging players

• Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP): ACRP serves clinical research professionals with certification (CCRC, CCRA) and educational programs. Represents an adjacent professional credentialing model in pharma/biotech clinical operations that intersects with ISMPP's publication planning audience at the clinical study lifecycle stage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISMPP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ISMPPchannel/videos?view=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ismpp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Society for Medical Publication Professionals