BOCA vs Lazar Partners serves the healthcare technology and life sciences sector. Both carry genuine credibility within them.
However, they approach medical communications from fundamentally different angles.
Let’s say you work in MedTech or biopharma, your technology works, and your clinical data is compelling.
However, turning that science into a brand story that reaches physicians, investors, payers, and the press simultaneously is a completely different kind of challenge.
Understanding the BOCA vs. Lazar Partners distinction helps you identify which model best fits your organization’s stage, audience, and communication priorities.
Get this right, and you choose an agency that accelerates your market position.
Get it wrong, and you spend months educating a team that does not understand your regulatory environment.
Let’s break both agencies down with the specificity this sector demands.
BOCA Communications: The Digital PR Pioneer for MedTech and B2B High-Tech
BOCA Communications is an award-winning digital PR and marketing agency headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Founded in 2007, the firm serves B2B high-tech and MedTech innovators, from venture-capital-backed startups to publicly traded, global companies.
BOCA integrates inbound marketing and RevOps principles into its PR offering, helping marketers achieve their goals and drive business impact.
That integration of revenue operations thinking into PR strategy most clearly distinguishes BOCA from Lazar Partners at the structural level.
BOCA has contributed to over $36 billion in M&A transactions and serves the high-tech and MedTech sectors.
This demonstrated robust, valuable influence and deep experience for clients engaged in strategic growth and technology M&A.
That track record is one of the clearest differentiators in the BOCA vs Lazar Partners debate for companies navigating transactions.
Additionally, BOCA launched a proprietary professional development program, BOCA Elevate, in 2022.
They trained every employee on digital PR, inbound marketing, and RevOps concepts using certified educational platforms, including HubSpot, Google Analytics, MuckRack, and LinkedIn.
That investment in team-wide capability signals a firm that takes consistent service quality seriously.
Key BOCA Facts
- Founded: 2007, San Francisco, California
- Revenue: $6.4 million annually, 2025 (RocketReach)
- Staff: Approximately 19 to 26 employees
- Primary focus: B2B high-tech, MedTech, biotech, VC-backed innovators
- Key differentiator: Digital PR integrated with inbound marketing and RevOps
- M&A contribution: Over $36 billion in transactions supported
- Services: Category creation, creative campaign development, content creation, measurable analytics, social media, brand strategy
BOCA Communications Areas of Strength
In the BOCA vs Lazar Partners comparison, BOCA’s defining strength is its digital-first, data-integrated approach to healthcare technology PR.
Where most traditional healthcare PR firms focus on earned media and analyst relationships, BOCA wraps its PR programs in inbound marketing logic.
Specifically, the agency builds campaigns that simultaneously generate awareness and drive qualified traffic and revenue leads.
For MedTech companies targeting hospital procurement teams, clinical decision-makers, and enterprise health system buyers, this connected approach between brand visibility and pipeline generation is practically valuable.
Furthermore, BOCA’s RevOps integration means its communications programs connect to the client’s sales and marketing technology stack.
Consequently, clients can track how earned media coverage contributes to pipeline movement, not just brand impression counts.
The agency’s B2B high-tech capability extends well beyond MedTech into enterprise software, cloud, AI infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
It made this BOCA vs. Lazar Partners comparison useful for companies at the intersection of health technology and enterprise IT.
BOCA’s services include:
- Digital PR strategy with inbound marketing integration
- Category creation and brand positioning for emerging MedTech
- Content marketing, ng including whitepapers, case studies, and technical articles
- Social media strategy for B2B healthcare audiences
- Creative campaign development and measurement
- M&A and transaction communications support
Lazar Partners: The Pharma, Biotech, and MedTech Investor Relations Specialist
Lazar Partners is a New York-based communications consultancy founded in 2001 that serves clients in the medical device, biotech, and specialty pharma industries with groundbreaking technologies and medicines.
In the BOCA vs Lazar Partners context, this founding focus on life sciences rather than broad B2B tech shapes everything about how the agency operates.
Founded by Fern Lazar, who previously led health and financial practices at two global PR firms, Lazar Partners built its reputation on a single defining model.
The model was combining communications expertise with genuine scientific and financial fluency.
The agency simultaneously employed team members trained in medicine, journalism, finance, and communications.
Lazar Partners worked with four of the top six MedTech companies and several in biotech.
Lazar has worked with Boston Scientific, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Medtronic, and DePuy.
In September 2019, Finn Partners acquired Lazar Partners, creating one of the largest independent health PR practices in the world.
Lazar now operates as LAZAR, a Finn Partners Company, with a 2024 revenue of $5.5 million and approximately 28 employees.
Lazar Partners is a health communications consultancy offering deep expertise in investor relations, public relations, marketing communications, patient-to-patient communications, medical writing, and key opinion leader engagement.
In the BOCA vs Lazar Partners comparison, Lazar’s most specific differentiator is its investor relations capability combined with clinical communications depth, a combination that very few agencies offer under one roof.
Key Lazar Partners Facts
- Founded: 2001, New York City
- Founder: Fern Lazar, now Managing Partner at Finn Partners
- Current structure: LAZAR, a Finn Partners Company (acquired September 2019)
- Revenue: $5.5 million annually, 2024 (RocketReach)
- Staff: 28 employees
- Primary focus: Medical device, biopharma, specialty pharma, biotech, digital health
- Key differentiator: Investor relations integrated with PR, clinical trial awareness, and medical writing
- Notable clients: Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, DePuy, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Insulet Corporation, Biogen Idec
Lazar Partners Areas of Strength
In the BOCA vs Lazar Partners comparison, Lazar’s edge lies in two capabilities.
One is investor relations at a clinical-stage level, and scientific communications, including medical writing by doctoral-level staff.
Lazar Partners also brings investor relations expertise to the Finn family, as well as expertise in recruiting subjects for clinical trials, patient advocacy, and the preparation and planning of scientific publications.
These include three doctoral-level staffers who are experts in the latter.
For a biopharma company approaching an IPO, managing a clinical data readout at a major medical meeting, or navigating FDA advisory committee communications, Lazar’s combination of IR advisory and scientific can be an advantage.
This capability tips the BOCA vs Lazar Partners comparison firmly toward Lazar for clinical-stage organizations.
Additionally, Lazar’s Finn Partners integration gives clients access to global reach through Finn’s network of 800-plus employees spanning the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Furthermore, Lazar’s patient advocacy and patient-to-patient engagement capabilities address a specific need for specialty pharma and rare disease companies seeking to build community awareness.
Lazar’s services include:
- Investor relations and capital markets communications
- Public relations for pharma, biotech, and medical device companies
- Clinical trial awareness and patient recruitment communications
- Medical writing and scientific publication support
- Key opinion leader engagement and management
- Patient-to-patient engagement programs
- IPO advisory and pre-IPO communications strategy
Read Also: Dukas Linden vs Cognito: Which Fintech PR Agency Wins?
BOCA vs Lazar Partners: A Direct Comparison
| Factor | BOCA Communications | LAZAR, a Finn Partners Company |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007, San Francisco | 2001, New York City |
| Revenue | $6.4 million (2025) | $5.5 million (2024) |
| Staff | 19 to 26 employees | 28 employees |
| Parent structure | Independent | Finn Partners Company (acquired 2019) |
| Primary model | Digital PR with RevOps integration | IR-integrated specialist health PR |
| Investor relations | Not core | Yes, dedicated IR practice |
| Medical writing | Not core | Yes, doctoral-level scientific writers |
| Clinical trial comms | Not core | Yes, patient recruitment expertise |
| MedTech M&A support | Yes, $36B contributed | Yes, via Finn Partners |
| Best for | MedTech and B2B health tech digital PR | Biopharma, biotech, clinical-stage IR and PR |
Who Should Choose Each Agency?
The BOCA vs Lazar Partners decision depends on your organization’s primary communications challenge and its stage in the commercial lifecycle.
Choose BOCA Communications if:
- Your MedTech or health technology company needs digital PR integrated with inbound marketing and RevOps pipeline generation
- You are an early-to-growth-stage B2B health tech firm targeting hospital procurement teams, enterprise health IT buyers, or clinical decision-makers
- Your communications strategy needs to demonstrate a measurable contribution to the pipeline and revenue, not just media impressions.
- You operate at the intersection of MedTech and enterprise technology and need an agency fluent in both sectors.
Choose LAZAR, a Finn Partners Company, if:
- You are a biopharma or specialty pharma company approaching an IPO, a data readout, or an FDA advisory committee meeting
- Your communications brief requires investor relations advisory alongside public relations as an integrated offering
- You need doctoral-level medical writing for scientific publications or clinical trial communications
- Your rare disease or specialty pharma product requires patient advocacy and patient-to-patient engagement as part of the strategy.
- You need access to a global PR network through Finn Partners for multi-market communications beyond the US.
Neither is right for you if:
- You are a consumer health brand seeking lifestyle media coverage rather than clinical or investor-facing communications
- You need a full-service advertising agency with creative production capabilities
- Your monthly PR budget is under $5,000
Pricing
Pricing is a practical consideration in any evaluation of BOCA vs. Lazar Partners. Neither BOCA Communications nor LAZAR publishes pricing publicly. Based on their respective team sizes and revenue profiles:
- BOCA Communications retainers for foundational MedTech digital PR programs are estimated to start at $5,000 to $10,000 per month, depending on the scope of content, digital integration, and campaign complexity.
- LAZAR retainers for integrated PR and investor relations programs are estimated to start at $6,000 to $12,000 per month, reflecting the specialized scientific and financial expertise the team brings.
Both offer accessible pricing relative to large healthcare holding-company agencies, while delivering deeper specialist capabilities than generalist boutiques.
Questions About BOCA Communications and Lazar Partners
1. What is the difference between BOCA Communications and Lazar Partners?
The difference between BOCA and Lazar Partners comes down to their communication models. BOCA Communications focuses on digital PR integrated with inbound marketing and RevOps for B2B MedTech and health technology companies.
Lazar Partners, now LAZAR, a Finn Partners Company, focuses on investor relations-integrated PR with scientific depth for biopharma, biotech, and specialty pharma clients.
2. Is BOCA Communications good for MedTech startups?
Yes. BOCA Communications serves VC-backed MedTech innovators alongside publicly traded companies, making it a strong fit for growth-stage health technology companies that need digital PR with measurable pipeline contribution.
Its RevOps integration provides MedTech startups with a communications model that directly aligns with commercial growth objectives.
3. What happened to Lazar Partners?
Finn Partners acquired Lazar Partners in September 2019.
The agency now operates as LAZAR, a Finn Partners Company, retaining its specialist healthcare identity while accessing Finn’s global network of employees across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
4. Does Lazar Partners do investor relations?
Yes. In the BOCA vs Lazar Partners comparison, investor relations is one of Lazar’s most specific differentiators.
The agency offers dedicated IR programs for public and private healthcare companies, including capital markets strategy, IPO advisory, and clinical data communications to the financial community.
5. What clients has Lazar Partners served?
Lazar Partners has served Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, DePuy, Biogen Idec, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, and Insulet Corporation, among others, across medical device, biopharma, and specialty pharma sectors.
6. Is BOCA Communications a good agency for biotech PR?
BOCA Communications serves biotech clients alongside MedTech and B2B tech companies.
However, in the BOCA vs Lazar Partners comparison, Lazar holds a deeper advantage for clinical-stage biotech companies that need investor relations, medical writing, and patient advocacy alongside traditional PR.
The Right Agency Depends on Your Goals
The BOCA vs Lazar Partners comparison produces a clear framework rather than a universal winner.
Each agency occupies a genuinely distinct position within the healthcare communications market.
Consequently, the right choice in the BOCA vs Lazar Partners decision depends entirely on your primary stakeholder and communications stage.
BOCA Communications is the right choice for your MedTech or health technology company’s digital PR needs.
It specializes in programs that connect directly to pipeline, revenue, and commercial growth.
Its RevOps integration and digital-first model set it apart from many competitors.
This approach makes it a distinctive option for companies targeting B2B buyers and enterprise health IT decision-makers.
LAZAR, a Finn Partners Company, is the right choice for biopharma, biotech, and specialty pharma organizations.
It is particularly valuable when investor relations and PR must function as a single integrated program.
Its scientific depth and doctoral-level writing capability provide a significant advantage.
The agency’s clinical trial communications expertise serves both clinical-stage and commercialization-stage life sciences companies.
Make the BOCA vs Lazar Partners decision based on your primary stakeholder.
If your most critical audience is a clinical or enterprise B2B buyer, choose BOCA.
If your most critical audience is a financial investor, a physician key opinion leader, or a clinical trial patient community, choose LAZAR.
