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Latest Executive Roundtables

Asembia 2025 

Topic

Sales and Marketing

1rem

LaShell Robinson, Head of Global Feasibility and Trial Equity at Takeda, discusses strategies to address underrepresentation in phase III psoriasis trials. She also talks about Takeda's partnerships with community stakeholders like Inside Edge, Black Health Matters, and Hispanic Communication Global Network to help improve engagement, address operational barriers by incorporating multicultural imagery, and prioritize sites with diverse patient demographics. She also explains how they've enhanced investigator diversity through educational sessions and multilingual toolkits, and how Takeda aims to expand these efforts globally.

Podcasts

LaShell Robinson, Head of Global Feasibility and Trial Equity at Takeda, speaks about the company's strategies to engage patients in underrepresented populations in its phase III psoriasis trials. 

Addressing Disparities in Psoriasis Trials: Takeda's Strategies for Inclusivity in Clinical Research

 podcast episode, UpScriptHealth founder and CEO Peter Ax discusses:

The impact of tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry, highlighting branded and generics medications

How tariffs could lead to strategic supply chain changes, including potential US manufacturing shifts

How digital health platforms can help potentially offset tariff impacts

The importance of telehealth in ensuring medication availability

Strategic partnerships between digital health platforms and pharma companies to improve patient care and access

Peter Ax, founder & CEO of UpScriptHealth, discusses the impact of tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry and how digital health platforms could potentially help offset them.

Tariffs and Drug Prices: Understanding the Impact on Pharmaceuticals

 podcast, Jennifer Butler, chief commercial officer of Pleio, discusses:

The threat of misinformation to public health and how emotional appeal plays a part.

Where patients are turning for trustworthy health information.

Strategies that can be used to verify information.

Pharma's role in helping to ensure patients have access to health insights they can trust.

Why the industry is turning to peer-to-patient platforms, trusted patient communities, and pharmacies to educate patients.

What kind of role regulatory agencies should play in the battle against misinformation.

Jennifer Butler, chief commercial officer of Pleio, discusses misinformation's threat to public health, where patients are turning for trustworthy health information, the industry's pivot to peer-to-patient strategies to educate patients, and more.

The Misinformation Maze: Navigating Public Health in the Digital Age

 Podcast, CEO and Founder of Sooth, Ian Baer, is back to discuss:

Why people trust friends and influencers over companies

Ian Baer, Founder and CEO of Sooth, discusses how the growing distrust in social media will impact industry marketing strategies and the relationships between pharmaceutical companies and the patients they aim to serve. He also explains dark social, how to combat misinformation, closing the trust gap, and more.

Navigating Distrust: Pharma in the Age of Social Media

In this episode of the Pharmaceutical Executive podcast, Bill Grambley, CEO of AllazoHealth, explores:

How AI can potentially revolutionize patient engagement and adherence

Utilizing patient-level data and predictive modeling

How AI can identify individual needs and preferences

The importance of ethical considerations and data privacy when leveraging AI in healthcare

Bill Grambley, CEO of AllazoHealth, delves into the potential of AI to revolutionize patient engagement and adherence.

Revolutionizing Patient Adherence: Leveraging AI for Personalized Engagement

In this Pharmaceutical Executive exclusive, Bob Jansen, David Shulkin, Gen. Paul Funk (Ret.), and Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster (Ret.)—members of the Federated Healthcare Advisory Panel—discuss how pharmaceutical companies can strengthen supply chain resilience, navigate policy shifts, and adopt a national security mindset.

Guiding Pharma Through Geopolitical Uncertainty: Q&A with the Federated Healthcare Advisory Panel

As the FDA’s ban on mass compounding of semaglutide takes effect, Novo Nordisk introduces discounted pricing and new patient resources to ensure safe access to Wegovy. 

Novo Nordisk Expands Wegovy Access Amid Semaglutide Crackdown

Country is poised to offer growth-channel opportunities for  global pharma companies ready to scale access, innovation, and profitability.


Impact, Access, and Scale: The Potential of India’s Pharma Market

The argument for weighing clinical points more heavily in the access equation.


Creating a Gray Zone in Payer Messaging: Outflanking Comparability

Subject matter experts share the challenges that patients face in terms of medication affordability, along with the role that specialty pharmacies can play in helping to tackle these issues.

Asembia 2025: The Cost of Care for Patients

Why AI Could Be the Key to Solving Access Challenges in Healthcare

, Chip Parkinson, the new CEO of Gift Health, shared his perspective on stepping into the role and the evolving challenges and opportunities across the healthcare landscape. Drawing on a diverse background that spans manufacturers, payers, and employer consulting, Parkinson discussed how his new position places him in closer contact with patients and prescribers than ever before. He also reflected on the state of specialty pharmacy, the potential of AI to improve access and affordability, and the importance of seeking diverse viewpoints in a rapidly shifting industry.

Pharmaceutical Executive: Patient access and affordability continue to be huge focuses—did you see any new solutions or partnerships at Asembia that excite you in that area?

 Absolutely. This is a rapidly evolving space, especially with the emergence of AI and large language models. For the first time, we have the ability to analyze vast datasets—pharmacy and medical claims, refill data, first fills—and gain a true understanding of what patients are experiencing.

Take migraine, for example. It typically takes patients six years to get properly diagnosed and treated, even though it’s the leading cause of workplace disability. Once they finally reach the right therapy, they often face utilization management hurdles like step therapy or fail-first policies. These barriers exist largely because we’ve lacked the ability to integrate and interpret the data to assess the trade-offs.

When migraine medications cost just pennies or dollars per capsule, we need to rethink whether these access barriers are justified. With AI-driven data integration, we can start answering those hard questions—and ultimately, improve access for patients.

 As of today, Chip Parkinson has stepped into role of CEO at Gift Health. Reflecting on the transition, Parkinson notes that this position brings him closer to patients than at any previous point in his career. With a background spanning manufacturers, payers, and employer consulting, he now sees firsthand the daily barriers patients and prescribers face—citing the company’s volume of 4,000 daily calls and 400 chats as a window into the patient experience.

Looking ahead, Parkinson sees several evolving roles for specialty pharmacies. He highlights the opportunity to better connect prescribers, pharmacies, and patients in real time—not just through improved logistics but with greater transparency into the patient’s journey. He also points to closer collaboration between payers and pharmacies as a potential area of growth, particularly where technology allows specialty pharmacies to integrate more directly into the care team. Parkinson emphasizes that artificial intelligence could be key in analyzing complex patient data sets—such as pharmacy claims and utilization management policies—to uncover patterns and inefficiencies that currently limit access.

When asked about prescription access and affordability, Parkinson suggests that AI may help better identify systemic barriers, using migraine treatment as an example where data gaps contribute to delays in care. He also discusses the growing demand for weight-loss medications, projecting major increases in utilization. Gift Health, he says, is looking into targeted interventions in underserved regions and through employer partnerships to address access challenges more effectively.

For other healthcare leaders attending industry events, Parkinson encourages building relationships outside familiar networks. He stresses the value of engaging with those who may hold different perspectives, particularly in a rapidly changing environment where policy, drug availability, and access continue to shift.

Videos

Chip Parkinson, CEO, GiftHealth, explains how AI-powered data integration is bringing new hope to patients by revealing hidden access barriers, streamlining treatment pathways, and challenging outdated utilization management practices.

Latest Conference Coverage

Video Series

Asembia 2025: Why AI Could Be the Key to Solving Access Challenges in Healthcare

Designing Smarter Interventions with Community Insights

As the healthcare industry sharpens its focus on patient-centered care, addressing social determinants of health, health equity, and literacy has become more critical than ever—particularly for individuals with chronic and rare conditions. During the 

"Speaking Health and Human: Bridging the Gap to Quality Patient Care"

 session, Tiara Green will join industry leaders to explore how barriers to access, education, and navigation of the healthcare system directly influence patient outcomes. In an interview with 

, Green previews the key issues shaping the conversation and why understanding these factors is essential to delivering better, more equitable care.

Pharmaceutical Executive: What are some of the most impactful preventive strategies you've seen that truly bridge the gap in healthcare access?

Early in my career, I worked on projects that involved community health workers. People often ask, "Why community health workers?" The answer is simple—they live in the communities we aim to serve. They reflect the population, understand their challenges, and most importantly, they’re trusted. That trust allows them to bridge the gap in access to care. They help ensure patients get the necessary screenings, and they often connect people to critical resources like job support or food assistance. Their role is essential in reducing disparities and improving outcomes.

PE: How can providers and health systems better incorporate community input when designing preventive or educational interventions?

The key is to involve the community from the very beginning—during the planning phase, not just at the implementation stage. Too often, programs are created without community input and then presented as a finished product. That approach risks missing the mark. By giving the community a voice early on, we can better understand their real needs and tailor interventions that truly resonate and succeed.

During the “Health and Human: Bridging the Gap to Quality Patient Care” session, attendees can expect a thoughtful discussion on how health equity, screening and diagnostic services, and health literacy together influence overall healthcare outcomes. The session will explore how social determinants of health—such as income, education level, and geographic location—directly impact the patient experience, especially for individuals living with rare and chronic conditions. Challenges like limited access to specialized care, difficulty navigating complex healthcare systems, and lower levels of health literacy will be key themes.

The conversation will also highlight effective strategies that have successfully bridged gaps in healthcare access. One major focus will be the role of community health workers, who serve as trusted, relatable figures within their communities. By understanding and representing the populations they serve, these workers can connect individuals to essential screenings, care resources, and social services like employment or food assistance.

Another critical point will center on how healthcare providers and systems can better design preventive and educational interventions by involving community members early in the planning process. Rather than imposing pre-developed programs, incorporating the lived experiences and voices of the target population helps create initiatives that are more relevant, effective, and sustainable.

Finally, looking to the future, the speaker emphasizes that achieving a healthier, more equitable society requires systemic and structural change. Addressing issues at the policy and institutional levels, fostering collaboration between healthcare systems and community-based organizations, and rethinking how care is delivered will be essential to creating lasting improvements in health equity.

Tiara Green, president, Accessia Health, explains how empowering trusted local leaders and involving communities early are key to closing persistent gaps in preventive care and healthcare access.

Asembia 2025: Designing Smarter Interventions with Community Insights

How Specialty Pharmacies Are Evolving to Support Rare Conditions

, Will Pih, co-founder, Two Labs, shared insights from his recent panel discussion on “Economics and Specialty Pharmacy for Rare Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities.” The conversation explored the growing complexities of delivering care in the rare disease space, particularly as specialty pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers navigate high drug costs, small patient populations, and an evolving regulatory landscape. Pih discussed the need for innovation, patient-centric service models, and policy reform to ensure sustainability and access without compromising the quality of care.

Pharmaceutical Executive: You were a part of the ‘Economics of Specialty Pharmacy for Rare Diseases: Challenges & Opportunities’ panel. Can you provide a brief synopsis of what the session entailed?

The session centered around the current economic challenges in specialty pharmacy, especially in the context of rare diseases. Both manufacturers and specialty pharmacies are facing increasing pressure. With small patient populations and high-cost therapies, the financial dynamics become even more complex. The goal was to highlight these difficulties from both the pharmaceutical and provider perspectives.

PE: High costs are often unavoidable in rare disease therapies—what innovative strategies are you seeing to balance affordability and sustainability without compromising patient care?

There are several promising approaches. From the pharma side, particularly in rare diseases, there's a growing emphasis on enhanced pharmacy and patient services. Hubs are playing a more critical role—they're either developed internally, with proprietary technology and staff, or outsourced to external partners offering advanced platforms. Some companies are adopting hybrid models that combine both.

On the specialty pharmacy side, there’s impressive innovation around patient support. I’ve visited a few specialty pharmacies and seen firsthand the rare disease-specific training they provide. They’re continuously working on quality improvements in clinical care and call center interactions, becoming increasingly patient-centric to meet the complex needs of this population.

The panel on "Economics and Specialty Pharmacy for Rare Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities" focused on the pressing financial and operational challenges within the rare disease specialty pharmacy landscape, particularly from both the pharmaceutical and patient/provider perspectives. With small patient populations and extremely high drug costs, rare diseases present unique difficulties for maintaining sustainable yet affordable care models.

Key innovations discussed included the evolution of patient services through advanced hub models. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly leveraging internal or third-party hubs that incorporate sophisticated technology and personalized support to enhance patient engagement. Specialty pharmacies, on their end, are refining rare disease training and clinical services, with a growing emphasis on patient-centricity, quality improvement, and tailored communication strategies.

Regulatory uncertainty was highlighted as a significant concern in 2025, with fluctuating guidance from agencies like the FDA creating hesitation in hiring and investment. This paralysis has led some organizations to turn to outsourced service providers, which may benefit specialty pharmacies and support vendors in the short term.

A central recommendation from the panel was to recognize specialty pharmacies serving rare disease populations as a distinct class of trade. The panelists argued that the level of service required for rare disease patients—often involving higher-touch care and more complex coordination—justifies differentiated reimbursement and policy consideration.

Looking forward, panelists expressed optimism about the pipeline for rare disease therapies, particularly with the growth of cell and gene therapies. As these treatments evolve from individualized products to off-the-shelf options, specialty pharmacies must prepare to support more complex therapies and new conditions they’ve never encountered before—marking a transformative phase in patient access and outcomes.

Will Pih, co-founder, Two Labs, explains how specialty pharmacies and manufacturers are adapting to financial pressures in rare disease care through patient-centric services, hub innovation, and hybrid technology models.

Asembia 2025: How Specialty Pharmacies Are Evolving to Support Rare Conditions

How AI and Payer Collaboration Are Shaping Pharmacy's Future

Pharmaceutical Executive: As of today, you are the new CEO of GiftHealth. How has stepping into this role shaped your perspective going into events such as Asembia?

It’s been a significant shift for me. I’m now much closer to the patient than ever before. I’ve previously worked with manufacturers, payers, and served as a consultant to self-funded employers and health plans—all of which, in their own ways, serve patients. But at GiftHealth, we engage directly with patients and prescribers through about 4,000 calls a day. That level of interaction quickly reveals the real friction points they experience.

PE: How do you see the role of specialty pharmacy evolving over the next year based on the discussions and insights from Asembia 2025?

There’s a lot happening in specialty pharmacy right now. One major opportunity is to serve as the real-time connector between the patient, prescriber, and pharmacy. We've made progress over the past 15 years with near-real-time coordination, but now the focus is on enabling true real-time visibility. Giving patients and prescribers a clear view of how a prescription flows through the system is a big opportunity this year.

I also see significant potential in strengthening payer–pharmacy relationships. There’s been ongoing discussion about closer alignment between payers and specialty pharmacies to manage patient care in real time. Pharmacies that invest in the technology to become an extension of the payer’s care team will have a real advantage.

And of course, everyone is talking about AI. Specialty pharmacies are uniquely positioned to leverage AI to interrogate their data, uncover insights into the patient journey, and improve service delivery. Those that do it well will stand out in the market.

As of today, Chip Parkinson has stepped into role of CEO at Gift Health. Reflecting on the transition, Parkinson notes that this position brings him closer to patients than at any previous point in his career. With a background spanning manufacturers, payers, and employer consulting, he now sees firsthand the daily barriers patients and prescribers face—citing the company’s volume of 4,000 daily calls and 400 chats as a window into the patient experience.

Chip Parkinson, CEO, GiftHealth, explains how AI, real-time data, and closer payer collaboration are driving the next phase of growth and efficiency in specialty pharmacy.

Asembia 2025: How AI and Payer Collaboration Are Shaping Pharmacy's Future

Bridging Healh Gaps Through Equity and Education 

As the healthcare industry sharpens its focus on patient-centered care, addressing social determinants of health, health equity, and literacy has become more critical than ever—particularly for individuals with chronic and rare conditions. During the 

 session, Tiara Green will join industry leaders to explore how barriers to access, education, and navigation of the healthcare system directly influence patient outcomes. In an interview with 

Pharmaceutical Executive: You will be a part of the ‘Speaking Health and Human: Bridging the Gap to Quality Patient Care’ session. Can you provide a brief synopsis of what to expect during the discussion?

We definitely encourage people to attend the session, but broadly, we'll be exploring the impact of health equity on screening and diagnostic services, as well as the role of health literacy. We’ll discuss how these factors together influence overall health outcomes.

Pharm Exec: How do you see social determinants of health shaping the patient experience, particularly for those with rare or chronic conditions?

Social determinants of health are critical for all patients, but they’re especially important for those living with rare or chronic conditions. We need to consider access to care—how income level, education, and where someone lives affect their ability to get the services they need.

For example, individuals in rural areas—or even in low-income urban communities—may struggle to access healthcare providers, especially specialists. When dealing with rare or chronic conditions, access to specialized care is vital, yet not always available or easy to navigate.

Health literacy also plays a key role. Individuals with lower educational attainment—such as not completing high school or college—may not fully understand how to navigate the healthcare system. Even as professionals, we sometimes find the system difficult to manage. That’s why it’s so important to address these barriers if we want to improve health outcomes.

Tiara Green, president, Accessia Health, highlights key themes from the upcoming discussion on how health equity, literacy, and social determinants are reshaping patient care—especially for those with chronic and rare conditions.

Asembia 2025: Bridging Health Gaps Through Equity and Education

How Tariffs Might Impact Drug Pricing and Access

Pharmaceutical Executive: What effect will the tariffs have on drug pricing and patient access?


 Over the last 20 years, our industry has taken advantage of the global, integrated economy. The vast majority of global companies, they either fully or partially moved their R&D facilities to the US, where they could take advantage of the global network and taxes offered by specific jurisdictions. This is not a new thing, the industry has adjusted to a fully global operating ecosystem.

Now, this recent shock and the potential implications are making everyone think about that means very broadly, and specifically for pricing and patient access. There might be a point that once the 90-day pause expires by mid-July, you may see two things. First, a cost increase as a result of these importation taxes, which will either be absorbed by the companies or passed on to the consumer.

If they absorbed, this will add pressure on the margins, especially for the generic products. There are implications that these margin pressure could lead to discontinuation of certain products, which can lead to drug shortages. Those are significant downstream implications. The prices will be passed through intermediaries. If you’re selling to a hospital system, it’s going to be through purchase organizations. If you’re selling through a payer, it’s going to be part of the contract negotiations. Prices won’t be immediately affected, but the impact on the margins will have impact for pharmaceutical companies.

Arda Ural explains how the tariffs will impact profit margins and potentially cause drug shortages.

Kimberley Chiang, vice president of biopharma commercial solutions at CoverMyMeds, discusses ethical considerations surrounding AI use in medication access, and how the industry can ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and equitably.

Ethical Considerations for AI Use in Medication Access

 video interview, Kimberley Chiang, vice president of biopharma commercial solutions at CoverMyMeds, discusses "The 2025 Medication Access Report." She highlights gaps in data-sharing and cross-functional collaboration as major bottlenecks that cause delays, rework, and increased patient burden. Chiang shares that only 3% of patients utilize support programs due to a lack of awareness. A large majority of the report's respondents plan to expand funding for patient support programs within the next 5 years due to large number of new therapies expected to come to market.

Pharmaceutical Executive: With the rapid advancement of AI, what are the ethical considerations surrounding its use in medication access, and how can the industry ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and equitably?


Ethical considerations with the use of any technology tool that is going to replace human decision making is something that we are quite focused on as an organization. We believe in responsibility and that AI should only be a complementary tool until we are very confident in the fair and unbiased nature of the AI and the diverse data sets that it’s pulling from.

For today and the near future, we believe the best position for AI is where technology enhances clinical support. The human component of care continues to be the most important element of making sure that the right clinical decisions are made for patients. We want to make sure that AI is used to support, not replace. The human touch in healthcare should persist in the most relevant clinical support services going forward.

We also believe in the protection of private information. Building those diverse data sets while maintaining patient privacy is a critical element to consider as an industry. While thinking about patient privacy, we also must think about transparency in decision making. A patient should know how a decision was made relative to their care. They should fully understand and be able to ask questions about how the process solicited this type of support for them.

Kimberley Chiang, vice president of biopharma commercial solutions at CoverMyMeds, discusses ethical considerations surrounding AI use in medication access and how the industry can ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and equitably.

Patient Access

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