The relationship between real-world evidence, health economics, and market access has tightened. Payers want outcomes data. HTA bodies are embedding RWE into joint assessments. Regulators are expanding guidance on what counts as credible real-world data. For pharma professionals working across these functions, staying current is no longer enough — the work requires active engagement with how standards, methods, and policy expectations are shifting in real time.

Conferences are where that engagement happens at scale. The right events bring together the decision-makers, data leaders, and regulatory voices who are shaping how RWE is generated, evaluated, and applied across the product lifecycle.

Below are the ten best RWE, HEOR, and market access conferences for pharma professionals in 2026, ranked by strategic relevance.

Top 10 RWE, HEOR & Market Access Conferences for Pharma Professionals (2026)

1. RWE Connect 2026 (14–15 October 2026, Boston, USA)

Best for pharma professionals working across RWE strategy, market access, and evidence generation

RWE Connect 2026 is the most tightly focused commercial RWE conference in the 2026 calendar. Held in Boston — the geographic centre of the US life sciences industry — it is designed for senior professionals whose work spans evidence generation, regulatory alignment, market access strategy, and data innovation.

The event covers three interconnected tracks: regulatory science, data and analytics, and technology and innovation. This structure reflects how RWE work actually operates — across functions, not within a single silo.

The speaker lineup confirms the event’s industry positioning. Confirmed participants include heads of HEOR and RWE from Gilead Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novo Nordisk, BioMarin, Bayer, and Alcon, alongside data and analytics leaders from Arcadia, Forian, and Truveta. The Partnering Lounge enables private 1:1 meetings. Masterclass Workshops provide skills-level depth. An RWE Innovation Showcase and Startup Pavilion showcase emerging tools and platforms.

For pharma professionals at the intersection of evidence and access, RWE Connect 2026 delivers the format and audience density to make attendance count.

Who should attend:

• HEOR and RWE directors and VP-level leads
• Medical affairs and market access teams
• Regulatory affairs professionals engaged with RWD submissions
• Data science and analytics leaders in pharma and biotech

2. ISPOR 2026 (17–20 May 2026, Philadelphia, USA)

Best for HEOR professionals and health policy strategists

ISPOR 2026 drew more than 4,500 stakeholders to Philadelphia in May, making it the largest HEOR gathering of the year. The conference theme — “HEOR at the Forefront of Policy, Access, and Value” — reflected the growing centrality of HEOR as a strategic function, not just a reimbursement tool.

Sessions at ISPOR 2026 addressed AI-enabled evidence workflows, RWE use in regulatory and HTA submissions, patient-centred outcomes methodologies, pricing reform under the Inflation Reduction Act, and lifecycle evidence planning. For HEOR and market access professionals, the conference offers unmatched breadth.

Strengths: Scale, scientific rigour, global policy depth, multidisciplinary attendance.

Considerations: RWE is embedded across a large, diverse programme — strong session planning is required to maximise RWE-specific value.

3. HTAi 2026 Annual Meeting (6–10 June 2026, Istanbul, Turkey)

Best for market access and HTA professionals working on multi-market access strategy

The HTAi Annual Meeting is the premier global forum for health technology assessment. The 2026 edition, themed “HTA as a System Shaper,” explored how evidence-informed decision-making supports more sustainable and equitable healthcare systems — with specific attention to EU HTA regulation, joint clinical assessments, and the integration of RWE into product access decisions.

For market access professionals navigating HTA submissions in multiple markets, HTAi provides direct access to HTA body representatives and regulatory stakeholders who are rarely available in commercial conference formats.

Strengths: HTA community access, policy and methods depth, global cross-market perspective.

Considerations: Limited commercial activity; primarily a scientific and policy forum.

4. GetReal Institute Annual Conference 2026 (29–30 June 2026, Utrecht, Netherlands)

Best for European RWE methods and regulatory/HTA alignment

The GetReal Institute is the leading European multistakeholder platform for advancing real-world evidence in regulatory, HTA, and clinical decision-making. Its 2026 annual conference in Utrecht focused on translating RWD into evidence that meets fit-for-purpose standards — addressing data quality, analytical methodology, digital technologies, and the decision context that determines whether RWE is accepted.

The event is notable for bringing together regulators, HTA bodies, industry professionals, academics, and patient advocates in a collaborative rather than transactional format.

Strengths: Methodological depth, European regulatory context, multistakeholder design.

Considerations: Smaller scale; limited partner evaluation or commercial interaction.

5. ISPE 42nd Annual Meeting / ICPE 2026 (29 August–2 September 2026, Milan, Italy)

Best for pharmacoepidemiology, real-world data science, and drug safety professionals

ICPE 2026, the International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology and Therapeutic Risk Management, brings together more than 2,000 professionals at the Allianz MiCo Convention Center in Milan. The theme, “Unlocking the Power of Pharmacoepidemiology to Improve Patient Health,” reflects the conference’s core commitment to scientific rigour in real-world data application.

For pharma professionals working in epidemiology, pharmacovigilance, benefit-risk assessment, or post-market surveillance, ICPE is the most scientifically intensive RWE-adjacent event in the calendar.

Strengths: Scientific depth in RWD methodology, post-market focus, strong academic-industry crossover.

Considerations: Academic orientation; commercial and partnering activity is limited.

6. 14th IMPACCT Real-World Evidence Summit (October 2026, Boston, USA)

Best for pharma and biotech professionals optimising RWE across the drug lifecycle

Organised by Hanson Wade, the IMPACCT Real-World Evidence Summit is the industry’s most practitioner-focused RWE meeting. The 14th edition returns to Boston in October 2026 following a series that has drawn senior attendees from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Biogen, and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Sessions address the practical questions that define RWE work: data quality and access, AI and predictive modelling in evidence generation, regulatory submission strategy, and integrated evidence planning across development and commercialisation.

Strengths: Senior pharma audience, case study depth, cross-functional networking.

Considerations: Specific dates not yet confirmed.

7. DIA Real-World Evidence Conference 2026 (19–20 October 2026, North Bethesda, USA)

Best for regulatory affairs professionals working on RWE submissions

The DIA’s Real-World Evidence Conference brings together regulators, industry leaders, data scientists, and policy experts at the Bethesda North Marriott in October. The 2026 programme, themed “Translating Insights into Real-World Value,” features perspectives from the FDA, EMA, and other global authorities alongside discussions on data governance, evolving regulatory standards, and study design for regulatory purposes.

Speakers include leaders from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, IQVIA, and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy.

Strengths: Regulatory focus, agency engagement, governance and standards content.

Considerations: Narrow regulatory framing; strongest value for regulatory affairs and submission-focused teams.

8. ISPOR Healthcare Investment Summit 2026 (22–23 September 2026, San Francisco, USA)

Best for evidence professionals connecting RWE strategy to investment and value decisions

The ISPOR Healthcare Investment Summit convenes investors, drug developers, policy leaders, and HEOR professionals in San Francisco to examine how products are evaluated, paid for, and adopted. For pharma teams building RWE strategies that need to satisfy both scientific and commercial audiences, this summit offers a rare forum that speaks both languages.

Strengths: Investor-industry crossover, commercial evidence framing, policy and value integration.

Considerations: Investment-oriented framing; limited scientific or methods depth.

9. ISPOR Europe 2026 (8–11 November 2026, Vienna, Austria)

Best for European market access and HEOR professionals

ISPOR Europe 2026, held in Vienna, is the Society’s largest annual European gathering — with 5,000+ expected attendees from across research, industry, payer, and regulatory communities. The programme covers real-world evidence generation and application, HTA methodologies, pricing and reimbursement strategies, and the evolving EU regulatory landscape.

For pharma market access teams with European portfolios, ISPOR Europe is an essential calendar commitment.

Strengths: European HEOR and HTA community scale, multi-market access depth, strong payer access.

Considerations: Broad programme; RWE content requires intentional session planning.

10. GlobalBSG Pharma Pricing & Market Access Innovation Summit (12–13 November 2026, Vienna, Austria)

Best for senior executives in pricing and access, working on value demonstration

The GlobalBSG summit brings together senior pharma executives in pricing, HEOR, market access, payer engagement, and regulatory affairs. The 2026 Vienna edition addresses affordability pressures, outcomes-based contracting, and the evidence-based strategies that support reimbursement across international markets.

Strengths: Senior commercial audience, pricing-access integration, international scope.

Considerations: Limited scientific content; strongest value for commercially oriented teams.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 calendar gives RWE, HEOR, and market access professionals a range of strong options — but no single event covers everything. The most effective conference strategy aligns event selection with where a team’s decisions actually need to move: methods development, regulatory alignment, partner evaluation, or commercial strategy.

Secure your place at RWE Connect 2026 →