Pharma Launch Excellence Summit Conference Day 2: Thursday October 1

Driving Execution, Adoption & Performance

Patients are no longer only arriving at treatment conversations informed by websites, adverts or advocacy groups. Increasingly, they are using AI search, symptom tools, social content and digital health platforms to understand conditions, compare treatments and shape the questions they bring to HCPs. For launch teams, this changes the dynamics of demand generation, education, access and adherence, especially in high-cost, specialty and consumer-visible categories.

Drawing on Julie's experience across US Market Access, specialty pharma, sales, marketing, advocacy and enterprise strategy, this session will explore how AI-influenced patient behavior is reshaping launch planning, and why access, medical, commercial and patient engagement teams need to respond together.

• Understanding how AI is changing patient awareness, expectations and decision-making

• Connecting patient demand, HCP engagement and access strategy earlier

• Managing affordability and reimbursement friction as patient interest grows

• Building launch plans that account for consumer empowerment and misinformation risk

Julie Cosgrove

Head of Strategy & Operations US Market Access
Sanofi

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In oncology launches, the assumption that strong clinical data will naturally drive uptake remains one of the most persistent myths. While evidence is essential, adoption is often shaped by beliefs, risk perception, cognitive shortcuts, social norms, and the realities of clinical practice rather than rational evaluation alone.

In this session, Dicla Veliz introduces the concept of the Human Algorithm, a practical framework for understanding how oncologists, patients, and internal teams process evidence and make decisions in real world settings. Using a breast cancer case study, she demonstrates what changed when the Kisqali launch shifted from prioritizing more data to focusing on how evidence supports decision making, reduces uncertainty, and fits into existing clinical workflows.

The session explores how communication becomes a strategic launch lever when it is designed to guide decision pathways, build confidence, and align stakeholders rather than simply raise awareness.

In this session, attendees will learn how to:

• Translate complex clinical data into communication that supports real prescribing decisions

• Apply behavioral insight to identify and address barriers to adoption across the oncology ecosystem

• Align cross functional teams around a shared launch story and decision framework

• Design launch strategies that enable uptake, access, and meaningful patient impact

Dicla Veliz Salce

Global Brand Lead for Women's Cancers
AstraZeneca

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Being first, best-known or historically dominant in a category does not guarantee continued leadership. As competitors enter, standards evolve and new evidence reshapes HCP expectations, launch teams must work harder to protect equity, maintain visibility and keep the patient at the center of the story.

Drawing on experience in diabetes & COPD launch strategy, this session will explore how teams can respond when a legacy brand or established standard begins to lose its automatic leadership position, and how to build a new relevance strategy that connects product value, patient need, HCP confidence and field execution.

• Protecting brand equity when the category benchmark begins to shift

• Maintaining HCP visibility as competitor narratives gain momentum

• Reconnecting the product story to patient need and treatment value

• Aligning Medical, Commercial and Field around renewed category relevance

Sabrina McGuigan

Director, Franchise Operations, Global Rare Diseases
Sanofi

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Launching a product in an established category is one challenge. Building belief in an emerging therapeutic area is another. When GLP-1s were still early in obesity and diabetes, success depended not only on strategy, data and messaging, but on creating the internal culture, field confidence and market education needed to turn uncertainty into momentum.

Drawing on experience leading diabetes and obesity commercial teams across the US and global markets, this session will explore how to build the people, tools and operating rhythm behind a high-growth launch, from motivating field teams and aligning affiliates to creating consistent global execution across diverse local markets.

• Building internal belief and field confidence around emerging therapeutic areas

• Aligning global strategy with local market fit across multiple countries

• Using launch platforms, training and KPIs to create execution visibility

• Creating a pioneering culture that turns launch teams into business builders

Lynn Sullivan

Chief Business Officer
Rose Pharma

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Aneil Batra

Former VP, Obesity & IM Commercial Strategy & Innovation
Pfizer

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• Identifying cognitive biases that distort launch forecasts
• Balancing data, judgement and uncertainty in forecast assumptions
• Pressure-testing scenarios before decisions become locked in
• Building forecasts that adapt as market signals change

Joseph Sterk

Director, Global Forecasting
BioNTech

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With competing priorities across functions, defining success is increasingly complex. This session will delve into how a range of pharma companies are redefining launch success through:

• Balancing speed, access, engagement and revenue

• Aligning KPIs across teams

• Measuring short and long-term success

Sabrina McGuigan

Director, Franchise Operations, Global Rare Diseases
Sanofi

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Jason Noto

SVP, US Market Access & Alliance Management
AVEO Oncology

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Even the strongest strategies fail without effective execution at the field level. This session will delve into how a range of pharma companies are redefining launch planning and execution through:

• Aligning strategy with field execution

• Building training and enablement models

• Creating feedback loops from field to leadership

Michelle Estonilo

Senior Biopharma Account Manager
Lundbeck

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