The story of Novellas Healthcare

From vision to transformation in Life Sciences recruitment & patient services

Novellas Healthcare was founded in 2002 by three experienced entrepreneurs — Johan Denewet, Luc Decat, and Alex Saelen — who shared a clear vision: to connect healthcare companies with high-performing professionals who can make a difference.

What began as a life sciences recruitment agency quickly became one of the most trusted names in permanent staffing in Belgium. By focusing exclusively on the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, Novellas built a reputation for quality, integrity, and long-term partnerships.

Growth through innovation

Over the years, Novellas Healthcare expanded its portfolio to reflect the real needs of the industry:

2005

introduction of flexible recruitment (contracting & freelance), anticipating the rise of agile workforce models in healthcare.

2008

a pioneering move with the launch of our Nurse Services, becoming the first player in Belgium to offer clinical trial nurses and patient support nurses for chronic disease programs.

2010

structured expansion into outsourcing, coaching, and patient education solutions.

2018

a new chapter began as Tom Torfs joined as CEO, driving the transformation into a unified healthcare services platform.

Novellas Healthcare: a combination of three expert entities

At its core, Novellas Healthcare is the result of the synergy between three highly specialized companies, each focused on a pillar of the healthcare industry:

1. Recruitment

2. Patient solutions

3. Clinical solutions

This consolidation allowed Novellas to offer a fully integrated model for sourcing, deploying, and developing talent across life sciences — making it one of the few players in the region with such an extensive healthcare focus.

Learn more about our services

A new era of leadership and expansion

Since 2024, Novellas has added a new dimension to its expertise with the launch of CRO Phase IV services, supporting pharmaceutical and biotech companies with local real-world data studies, observational research, and patient-centric evidence generation.
Today, Novellas Healthcare is led by a new generation of strategic partners:

From left to right: Rayan Hamdoun, Leen Van Herzele, Anke Verheyen and Tom Torfs

Together, they combine operational experience with innovation and a clear international ambition — to build one of Europe’s most agile and patient-focused life sciences service providers

Our mission, still true today

At every stage of our evolution, one thing has remained unchanged:

To support professionals in building meaningful careers, and to help our partners grow the human capital they need to change lives.

With over 20 years of experience, thousands of healthcare professionals placed, and hundreds of successful projects delivered, Novellas Healthcare continues to write its story — one patient, one partner, and one innovation at a time.

Ready to partner with best in class life sciences experts?

We’d be happy to support your growth and create a bigger impact on patients and life sciences.

Let’s get in touch!