What Burns McClellan does

Burns McClellan is a New York-based, privately held investor and public relations consultancy founded in 1988 by Lisa Burns, focused exclusively on the life sciences and healthcare community. The firm delivers four integrated service lines: comprehensive Investor Relations for private and public life sciences companies (capital raising, IPO preparation, shareholder communications, R&D Days); Public Relations (messaging, media outreach, scientific conference support); Advisory Services (counsel during hostile takeovers, clinical or regulatory setbacks, and leadership transitions); and Specialized Projects (Wall Street Perception Audits, Speaker Presentation and Media Coaching, and select news announcements). Its client base spans large pharmaceutical enterprises (Pfizer, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hoffmann-La Roche, Bayer, Baxter, Teva, Wyeth-Ayerst) and biopharmaceutical innovators (Gilead Sciences, Kite Pharma, Human Genome Sciences, Alkermes, Cephalon, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Avanir), with therapeutic coverage across oncology, orphan/genetic diseases, cardiovascular disease, CNS, and immunology/infectious diseases, and modality breadth spanning small molecules, biologics, cell therapy, gene therapy, and vaccines.

The firm generates revenue through professional services engagements — primarily retainer-based IR/PR fees supplemented by project-based fees for R&D Days, perception audits, media coaching, and crisis/advisory work. Burns McClellan describes itself as "the nation's oldest independent investor relations and communications consultancy specializing in the life sciences," with staff combining backgrounds in science, clinical development, regulatory affairs, equity research, banking, and corporate communications. According to company commentary, it has represented more than 400 biopharmaceutical companies and executed more than 100 R&D Days across its operating history. The firm maintains a single disclosed office in New York and operates without disclosed external investment, parent company, or acquisition activity.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging the firm's investor, analyst, banker, and media network to secure engagements directly with private and public life sciences companies. Services are tailored to each engagement, with strategic counsel delivered throughout private financing, IPO preparation, and ongoing corporate communications. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a quote-based, scope-driven model. Marketing is conducted primarily through LinkedIn and the corporate website, with no formal distribution partnerships or channel programs identified in the source data.

Name

Burns McClellan

Legal name

Burns McClellan Inc.

Website

https://burnsmcclellan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Burns McClellan is a privately held, New York-based investor and public relations consultancy founded in 1988, serving private and public life sciences companies with integrated IR, PR, advisory, and specialized communications services across therapeutic and modality verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nyack

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Investor Relations: Burns McClellan provides comprehensive investor relations services to private and public life sciences companies. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for strategic counsel, communications program development, investor targeting and engagement, road show coordination, conference management, and ongoing IR program support.
2. Professional Services - Public Relations: Strategic communications and public relations services for life sciences companies, including message development, media outreach, news release crafting, social media campaigns, and corporate website content. Revenue derived from ongoing PR retainer fees and project-based engagements.
3. Advisory Services: Executive counsel around specific issues or crisis situations requiring strategic planning and communication. Services include guidance during hostile takeover bids, clinical and regulatory setbacks, and leadership transitions. Revenue generated through advisory consulting fees.
4. Specialized Projects: One-time project services including R&D Day Programs, Wall Street Perception Audits, Speaker Presentation and Media Coaching, and Select News Announcements. Revenue generated through project-based fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Burns McClellan provides integrated investor relations and public relations consulting services to private and public life sciences companies. Core deliverables include strategic IR counsel, capital-raising and IPO preparation support, media outreach and messaging development, executive advisory during corporate events or crises, and specialized projects such as R&D Day programs and Wall Street Perception Audits.

Product overview

Burns McClellan is a life sciences investor and public relations consultancy offering an integrated suite of communications services. The firm operates as a service-based consultancy rather than a software product platform. Its core offerings include Investor Relations Services, Public Relations Services, Advisory Services, and Specialized Projects (including R&D Day Programs, Perception Audits, Media Coaching, and News Announcements). Services are delivered through professional consulting engagements for both private companies (supporting financing rounds and IPOs) and public companies (enhancing stakeholder communication and investor engagement).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investor Relations Services Comprehensive investor relations services for private and public life sciences companies, including capital raising support, shareholder base diversification, stock liquidity management, IR strategy development, message refinement, investor targeting, road show coordination, quarterly financial reporting processes, and R&D Day coordination.
• Public Relations Services Strategic communications programs and messaging development for life sciences clients, including media outreach, news release crafting, social media campaigns, scientific conference support, and corporate website content aimed at positioning clients as leaders in life sciences innovation.
• Advisory Services Executive counsel and strategic planning around specific issues or crisis situations, including guidance during hostile takeover bids, clinical and regulatory setbacks, leadership transitions, and other immediate strategic communication needs for life sciences organizations.
• Specialized Projects Suite of one-time project offerings including Investor R&D Day Programs, Wall Street Perception Audits, Speaker Presentation and Media Coaching, and Select News Announcements, designed to address specific corporate communications objectives of life sciences clients.
• Investor R&D Day Programs End-to-end event management for R&D Days, conveying in-depth information about science, pipeline, business strategy, and competitive advantages to Wall Street audiences, including venue selection, invite list development, invitation drafting, attendance follow-up, agenda/slide preparation, on-site logistics, and post-event wrap-up reports. Burns McClellan has executed over 100 such R&D Days.
• Wall Street Perception Audits Audit programs providing a detailed evaluation of how shareholders, potential investors, and sell-side analysts view clients' clinical/regulatory developments, overall strategy, messaging, management, and competitive position in the drug development landscape, with feedback used to refine client communications strategies.
• Speaker Presentation and Media Coaching Training system preparing management, researchers, marketers, and company communicators to deliver key messages effectively to diverse external and internal audiences across multiple communication formats, including speaking engagements and media appearances.
• Select News Announcements Development of news announcements for company/fund launches, business development agreements, M&A, scientific publications, medical meeting presentations, management additions, and corporate restructurings on behalf of life sciences clients.
• Private Company IR Services Support for venture capital financing, mezzanine financing, access to VCs and institutional crossover investors, and IPO preparation including traditional IPOs, reverse mergers, and Form 10 filings for private life sciences companies.
• Public Company IR Services Comprehensive in-house investor relations department functions for public life sciences companies, including IR strategy development, message refinement, investor targeting, road shows, quarterly financial reporting processes, and R&D Day coordination.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully executed over 100 R&D Days for clients
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burns-mcclellan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burns McClellan