Questex announced the keynotes and topics for the 10th annual Patients as Partners® Europe conference happening May 19-20, 2026 at the Royal National Hotel, in London, UK.
Sanofi, Johnson and Johnson, Roche and Parexel kick off the conference together with patient advocacy on how integrating patient involvement throughout medicine development delivers better value for patients with increased access and inclusivity.
“Patients as Partners Europe has spent a decade leading the transition from 'centricity' toward true integrated partnership. By bringing pharma, patients, and service providers together to solve complex challenges, this event highlights how impactful medicines are developed not just for patients, but in dedicated partnership with them,” said 2026 co-chair Léa-Isabelle Proulx, PhD, MBA, Patient Voice Partner, Strategy, Portfolio & Operations, Roche.
Previously organized by the Conference Forum, Patients as Partners® Europe is now part of Questex’s Fierce Life Sciences, where its combined resources offer greater market reach and networking.
"This event highlights how impactful medicines are developed not just for patients, but in dedicated partnership with them.”
The 2026 Keynotes are:
* Patient Experience Keynote, with Michael McGrath, Muscular Dystrophy Patient Advocate
* Mental Health Patient Keynote, with Clarke Carlisle, Mental Health Patient Advocate
* AI at Scale in Drug Development Keynote, with Lionel Bascles, PhD, SVP, Global Head of Clinical Sciences and Operations, Sanofi
* Advancing the Patient Voice Across R&D Keynote, with Norman Putzki, MD, PhD, Global Head of Clinical Development, Novartis
* Protocol Optimization Keynote, with Kenneth Getz, MBA, Director and Professor, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, Tufts University School of Medicine
Pharma companies presenting case studies include:
* Bayer
* Boehringer Ingelheim
* Biogen
* BMS
* Johnson & Johnson
* Lundbeck
* Novartis
* Pfizer
* Roche
* Sanofi
* UCB
* And more
“The 2026 program highlights the latest successes for advancing integrated patient engagement in R&D, the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, and what matters to patients through multi-stakeholder perspectives,” said Tracey Kimball, Senior Director, Patients as Partners Europe.
Key topics include:
* Advancing Integrated Patient Engagement
* Patient Experience Data and Data Return
* Understanding Patient Preferences in Clinical Trials
* Reversing Protocol Complexity to Ease Patient Burden
* Operationalizing Early Patient Insights for Measurable Impact
* Collaborative Approaches to Advance Representativeness in Clinical Trials
* Patient Perspectives on Supporting Mental Health in Clinical Trials
* Addressing Barriers to Cross Border Clinical Trials Access
* Deploying AI to Better Understand and Integrate Patient Insights
* HTA/Regulatory Requirements and Patient Engagement in Drug Development
About Patients as Partners® Europe:
Patients as Partners® Europe is co-produced with patients, the R&D industry, academia, government and nonprofit organizations to establish a well-rounded program that addresses the needs of all stakeholders seeking to implement and advance patient involvement, access and diversity across the entire clinical development continuum. To learn more about Patients as Partners and access the full agenda, visit PatientsAsPartnersEU.com.
About Questex
Questex fuels exceptional business connections—where every buyer and seller interaction matters. Through live events enriched with data insights and active year-round digital communities, we deliver measurable results. It happens here.
