Pharma Launch Excellence Summit Main Conference Day 1: Tuesday 2nd December

Pharma prides itself on discipline and readiness. But the truth is that most launches aren’t failing because of poor planning; they’re failing because the playbook itself is outdated.

We’ve built systems for a world that no longer exists. By the time KPIs flash red, the damage is already done. Teams drown in a sea of congress sentiment, HCP chatter, field notes, payer pushback and patient conversations. Yet with no way to connect the dots, “insights” arrive too late to matter.

We celebrate success while leaving hidden billions on the table. We tolerate insights arriving months late because that’s how it’s always been done. And we congratulate ourselves on navigating compliance, when in reality it’s just the most vanilla path possible.

This isn’t about tweaking processes. It’s about deciding whether you want to keep polishing obsolete systems, or embrace launch intelligence fit for the next decade.

This session won’t be comfortable. But then again, neither is watching your launch fail in slow motion.

Forecasting is more than a commercial exercise- it’s a strategic alignment tool. When done right, it anchors cross-functional planning and creates shared accountability. When done wrong, it fuels disconnect, finger-pointing, and misaligned execution.

·       Building forecasts collaboratively to reflect real-world assumptions across functions

·       Assigning ownership of assumptions, not just numbers, to ensure accountability

·       Creating transparency through shared access, updates, and scenario planning

·       Integrating portfolio-level considerations into individual product forecasts

Come away with strategies to make forecasting a unifying strategic tool rather than just a numbers exercise.

Richard Hinde

Launch Excellence Lead & Global Brand Director
Norgine

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Launch leaders know that no two launches are alike – yet too many organisations move from one launch to the next without pausing to extract lessons that could improve performance. With external pressures mounting, from shifting access landscapes to global pricing reforms, optimising launch strategy within the first six months is critical. This panel will explore how companies can embed continuous learning, allocate investment wisely, and adapt strategy across geographies and product types to maximise launch outcomes.

Embedding launch optimisation reviews to capture learnings and course-correct early.

Shaping regional investment strategies based on therapy type, company scale, and market dynamics.

Building organisational memory and operational models that accelerate future launches.

Using the learnings from wave 1 country launches to maximise the chance of success for countries launching later in the launch sequence

Will Goulding

Lead, Marketing Operations, Commercial Strategy & Operations
Astellas Pharmaceuticals

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Jane Francis

Managing Director
Inspiros Consulting Solutions

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Kim-Chi Tran

Head of Business Planning & Operations
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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Health systems aren't always ready for innovative therapies. Forward-thinking companies are embracing health system strengthening as a strategic lever—not a CSR initiative. Learn how cross-functional teams are building long-term partnerships that unlock sustainable market access while addressing health equity concerns.

·       Mapping system barriers to therapy adoption early in the launch planning process

·       Designing collaborative initiatives that align with healthcare system development goals

·       Embedding health equity considerations into market development strategies

·       Tracking impact of system investment on access, uptake, and market growth

Leave with tools to embed health system strengthening and equity initiatives into your long-term market development plans.

Karen Cheng

Patient Advocate
International Myositis Society

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Jo Christon

Clinical Pathway Manager
Johnson & Johnson

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Brilliant science can only deliver value if it reaches patients in ways that truly improve their outcomes. Implementation science offers pharma leaders a guidance to bridge clinical development and real-world adoption, ensuring launches are not just product-focused but system-focused. Drawing on real-world examples from pharma leader and beyond, this session explores how quantified patient journey models can support decision making and pragmatic Implementation Science can close care gaps and accelerate impact.

· Leveraging implementation science to map, measure, and improve the holistic patient journeys

· Design, measure and embedding practical solutions to overcome gaps in care

· Bridging commercial, medical, and real-world practice to align stakeholders on adoption

By blending case studies with interactive ideation, participants will leave with pragmatic strategies to operationalise implementation science - moving beyond drug launches to system-level patient impact.

Petra Nathan

Global Head of Implementation Science
Boehringer Ingelheim

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Audrey Gent

Client Strategy Director
Kanga

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Martin Møller

Former Global Director, Channel Excellence
Novo Nordisk

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Lunch & Learn: The metrics, or the truth? 

- Why disconnected insights are still slowing launch teams down

- How to close the gap between planning and market responsiveness

- What leading teams are doing differently to align Medical and Commercial around real-time data

- Examples of Launch Intelligence in action - from pre-launch through acceleration

Sponsored by: Within3

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Roundtable 1: AI in Action: Where Launch Teams Are Seeing Real Impact

As AI hype evolves into real capability, pharma launch teams are beginning to adopt and test AI-powered tools across the value chain - from insight generation to content development. This roundtable explores what’s working, what’s scalable, and what’s still to be proven.

• Share successful use cases of AI supporting pre- and post-launch activities
• Explore barriers to adoption and strategies to overcome internal resistance
• Discuss future AI capabilities that could redefine launch planning

Roundtable 2: Digital-First Launch Design: Getting Personalisation, Channels & Execution Right

Today’s launches demand more than digital add-ons—they require fully integrated omnichannel strategies tailored to stakeholder behaviours. But executing that vision remains a challenge. Join peers to dissect what’s working and how to optimise digital-first launch blueprints.

• Define what a true “digital-first” launch looks like for your product and audience
• Share challenges integrating content, channels, data and systems for end-to-end orchestration
• Discuss KPIs and best practices for measuring digital launch effectiveness

Roundtable 3: Real-Time Insights, Smarter Decisions: Enabling Agile Launch Execution

Speed and adaptability are increasingly critical as market dynamics shift post-approval. This discussion focuses on how data and insights are being operationalised to enable real-time pivots, smarter targeting, and ongoing optimisation during the launch window.

• Identify the most valuable data streams during the first 6–12 months post-launch
• Explore tools and structures for real-time insight capture and decision-making
• Share lessons from teams that have successfully pivoted post-launch

Roundtable 4: Getting Ahead of the Curve: Using Predictive Analytics to De-Risk Launch Planning

With pressure to get launches right the first time, teams are increasingly turning to predictive analytics to reduce uncertainty and stress-test strategies. This session explores how forecasting, simulation, and modelling tools are shaping smarter launch plans.

• Share how predictive tools are being used in early-phase and pre-launch stages
• Discuss how to scenario-plan for pricing, access, uptake and competition
• Explore how commercial and data teams can collaborate to drive smarter predictions

Launch excellence begins years before market entry, yet many organizations underestimate the critical importance of robust New Product Planning (NPP) in determining ultimate commercial success. The difference between breakthrough launches and disappointing market performance often lies in the quality of early preparation and strategic handover processes. At Takeda, systematic NPP processes have been instrumental in building organizational readiness and ensuring seamless transitions from development to commercialization. Attend this talk to understand how NPP teams are:

·       Establishing strategic foundations that set launch teams up for success through comprehensive early planning and stakeholder alignment

·       Implementing best practice handover processes that ensure critical knowledge, insights, and strategic direction transfer effectively between functions

·       Building organizational readiness capabilities that enable rapid, coordinated launch execution across diverse markets

·       Creating cross-functional NPP frameworks that bridge development, regulatory, medical, and commercial objectives from early stages

Jolanda Koenders

Head of Launch Excellence and New Product Planning, Central South East Europe
Takeda

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Robust market intelligence forms the backbone of successful launch strategies. This session explores how to build, validate, and leverage market insights that drive competitive advantage.

·       Developing comprehensive competitor intelligence frameworks across product types

·       Translating market research into actionable launch tactics and messaging

·       Integrating intelligence from diverse sources to create unified market narratives

·       Market intelligence – do we know our evidence gaps?

Leave with methodologies to strengthen your integrated evidence capabilities and make more informed launch decisions.

Laura Wallace

VP, Head of Global Integrated Evidence
Boehringer Ingelheim

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In an increasingly competitive and resource-constrained launch environment, AI and insight-driven planning are no longer optional - they’re essential. From early scenario planning to post-launch assessments, teams can utilise vast amounts of data and analysis to eliminate guesswork and confidently direct investment. In this session, Gemma Pfister, Senior Executive and ​Head of Life Sciences Europe at Vynamic explores how their new LaunchNav tool helps launch leaders plan, benchmark, stress-test, and continuously refine their launch plans with precision.

• Pulling together structured insights to build tailored, benchmarked launch plans that ensure teams are focused on the right activities for a successful launch
• Using rich data to scenario plan, audit, and adapt launch in real time to increase efficiency and optimise team alignment
• Translating market and industry intelligence into clear, confident go-to-market decisions that drives investment

Leave with a vision for how AI, insight, and consultancy expertise can supercharge your launch lifecycle - from planning through to execution.

Gemma Pfister

Senior Executive and Head of Life Sciences Europe
Vynamic, part of Inizio Advisory

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In this insightful session, we'll explore the critical aspects of measuring launch success in the pharmaceutical industry, with a particular focus on rare disease markets. We'll address the industry-wide challenge of balancing standardized success metrics with the unique needs of diverse markets.

·       Developing comprehensive KPIs that encompass both commercial outcomes and patient impact

·       Integrating quantitative and qualitative measures for a well-rounded evaluation

·       Adapting metrics for markets with varying resources and healthcare systems

·       Consistent launch measurement across different regions

·       Leveraging launch metrics to inform strategic decisions and resource allocation

·       Using success measurements to drive continuous improvement in launch strategies

Margarita Saakova

Global Head of Launch
Alexion Pharmaceuticals

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