Pharmony Summit 2026: From chaos to collaboration

Join us on 9th June at the Royal Society of Medicine, London as we openly explore how together, the pharmaceutical industry and agencies build a new kind of value in the face of technological & economic turmoil.

Who is the Summit for?

We’re looking for proactive and optimistic souls, who share our collective belief that a brighter future exists. So, if this sounds like you and you’re working in one of the roles bulleted below – we’d love to see you and hear your perspectives.

  • Working in pharma marketing, medical affairs or procurement 
  • An agency leader or senior agency professional 
  • A consultant working with pharma companies or service agencies 

The uncomfortable truth

We don’t have all the answers to the challenges being faced by the pharmaceutical industry and agencies, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this isn’t the Summit for you.

What we do have is a willingness to enable very honest conversations about what really needs to change so that standards continue to advance – and better health can be realised for all.

Unlimited views. Limited attendance

There are only 120 spaces for this not-to-be-missed, interactive Pharmony Summit.

To attend, register your interest by emailing Ermelinde.

The finer details

When: 9th June, 9.30 – 5pm plus networking drinks until 7pm

Where: Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London

Catering: The summit will be fully catered, including coffees/teas, a buffet lunch and drinks at the end of the day during the networking session.

Find your Pharmony now

We are asking all attendees to complete a short survey to inform the discussion on the day. Once registered please click here. The survey results will be presented at the Summit.

Read last year’s meeting report here.

Agenda – June 9th at Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London

9:00 – 9:30  Arrival and Coffee   
9:30 – 10:00  Welcome and Scene setting  

  • Introduction to Pharmony 
  • Pharma-agency landscape – 2026 update (including survey results) 
 Chaired by: Carwyn Jones, Director, PM Society & Stephen Page, Page & Page 
Session 1: Rethinking Value: Beyond Time & Materials  Chaired by: Patrick Kearns, Red Nucleus; Paul Hutchings, Fox & Cat 
10:00 – 10:40   Is Time & Materials Still Fit for Purpose in a Tech-enabled Landscape?​ (Oxford Debate) 

  • A balanced debate examining where time-and-materials works, where it falls short, and why it continues to dominate.  
  • We will hear arguments for and against the practical, cultural and organisational barriers to change  — and whether the current model still reflects the value being delivered.​
  

2 pharma procurement speakers 

 

2 agency leaders 

 

Audience voting via Slido 

 

 

 

 

2 pharma procurement speakers 

 

1 external consultant 

 

+ 1 TBC   

 

Audience questions via Slido  

 
10:40 – 11.20  What Better Could Look Like​ (Fireside Chat) 

  • A practical exploration of alternative approaches to defining and measuring value, drawing on perspectives from within and outside the pharma–agency model.  
  • We aim to surface what is realistically transferable, what it would take to implement, and where early shifts could start 
COFFEE BREAK – 20 MINUTES   
Session 2: Improving HCP Engagement – Quality Over Quantity   Chaired by: Claire Duggan, Seven Stones and Tess Wulff, Bamboo Medical 
11:40 – 13:00 
  • This session explores how to drive more meaningful and effective engagement with HCPs by prioritising relevance, precision, and impact over volume.  
  • Through expert insights and a live HCP panel, we’ll examine how to optimise communications, understand what truly resonates in practice, and apply practical approaches to create engagement that genuinely connects and delivers results. 
  • Expect quantitative data, trends and live views from HCPs. 
 Contributors:  

Tony Thakur, UCB,  

Ram Patel, Brainsell,  

Steve Simmonds, SJS Consulting 

 

Plus 

A panel of HCPs will tell us what works for them (and what doesn’t) 

 

Audience questions via Slido 

 
1:00 – 1:45 Lunch Break   
Session 3: Partnership Evolution: Co-Creating the Blueprint for Future Client–Agency Relationships  Chaired by: Amanda Smith, Versantra and Angie Wiles, The Difference Collective 
1:45 – 2.25  Partnership Evolution – Data and Perspectives  

  • Pharma-agency partnerships have already evolved.  We look at several evolving agency business models and ask what does pharma need from agencies, and what do agencies need to do next? 
  • This session begins with a look at recent survey data and asks pharma and agency panellists to give their perspectives on the future of the pharma-agency partnership. 
 Panel of speakers​ 

  • UK pharma ​ 
  • Global pharma ​ 
  • Network agency lead​ 
  • Independent agency lead​ 

 
2.25 – 3.25 

Including a coffee/tea 

 From Insight to Action: 

Validating the Partnership Blueprint​ 

  • Facilitated workshops with mixed pharma-agency groups each review and discuss allocated elements of the partnership blueprint​ 
  • This is where you get to work together, hear different points of view, and assess your own situation in the light of emerging partnership models. 
 Small break out groups led by a facilitator 
3.25 – 3.45 
  • Quick regroup and discussion of next steps. These workshops will be the start of some ongoing Pharmony workstreams. 
  
Session 4: ContrAIndications: When is AI the right medicine?  Led by Phil Blackmore, Create Health, Mark Wheeler, Kyowa Kirin 

 
3.45 – 4.45  Finding Practical Utility in AI for Pharma​ 

  • Where are you on the AI adoption spectrum? (live audience poll) 
  • 3 real-world case studies where AI has created real value  
  • Is it all hype? Where is AI genuinely productive and where is it all hype?  

This final session will be energising and practical. Expect to get out of your seat! 

 Speakers include: 

Ellie Thomas, Camino 

Rachel Harris, Page & Page 

Mark Wheeler, Kyowa Kirin

  
4.45 – 5.00  Wrap up and Close  Carwyn Jones, PM Society 

 
5.00 – 7.00  Networking and Drinks   Hosted by the PM Society Board and Pharmony team 
Date:
Tuesday 9th June
Time:
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Venue