Patients as Partners EU

#PatientsEU2026
10th Annual Patients as Partners Europe will Demonstrate:

• Transitioning from patient centricity to integrated patient engagement
• Utilizing patient experience data to assess the advancement of medicine development
• Reducing protocol complexity to ease patient burden
• Mastering representation in patient recruitment
• Establishing impactful collaborations in patient partnerships

What to Expect

The 10th annual #PatientsEU2026 conference offers an unparalleled opportunity to hear from pharma R&D and patient advocacy together on how patient engagement gets done to drive greater efficiencies in clinical research and better outcomes. The conference prioritizes the patient voice to help pharma R&D make finding clinical research easier for patients and achieve faster and more efficient clinical development.

Experts from Sanofi, Regeneron, Chiesi, Johnson & Johnson, GSK, Biogen, Lundbeck, BMS, UCB, Pfizer, Novartis, Bayer, AstraZeneca, Roche and more will gather with patient advocacy to address:

• 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

2026 Keynote Speakers

Patient Keynotes

Patient Experience Keynote 

Michael McGrath
Muscular Dystrophy Patient Advocate

Defying an early MD diagnosis at 18 years old, Michael walks you through the patient experience.

Mental Health Patient Keynote

Clarke Carlisle
Mental Health Patient Advocate

An accomplished professional football player and fierce patient advocate, Clarke shares his incredible story of managing a dual diagnosis of substance abuse and complex depressive disorder.

R&D Leadership Keynotes

AI at Scale in Drug Development - Fighting the Odds to Accelerate Breakthroughs to Patients

Speaker
Lionel Bascles, PhD
SVP, Head of Development
Sanofi

Advancing the Patient Voice Across R&D

Speaker
Norman Putzki, MD, PhD
Global Head of Clinical Development
Novartis

Moderated with
Peter DiBiaso
Patient Advocate

Protocol Optimization Keynote

Speaker
Kenneth Getz, MBA
Director and Professor, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development
Tufts University School of Medicine

Moderated with
Victoria DiBiaso, MPH
VP, Head of Patient Informed Development & Health Value Translation
Sanofi

Featured Speakers

Gonzalo Linares
Global Head of Patient Advocacy R&D
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Kimberly Kallsen, PhD
Head of Patient and Site Engagement, Clinical Development Operations
Boehringer Ingelheim

Sally-Anne Dews
Director, Patient Advocacy and External Partnerships
Pfizer

Aurora Berra, MD, PhD
Global Patient Officer
Ipsen

Eva Bretschneider
Global Patient Engagement Strategy Lead
Bayer

Chrysanthus Herrera, MD
Head of Health Equity and Access Realization
Merck Group

Josee Pelletier, MBA
Executive Director, Research & Drug Development, Global Patient Outreach
Bristol Myers Squibb

Terttu Haring
Global Head,
Engagement Strategy
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Danuta Marchi
Global Head of Patient Engagement and Advocacy
UCB

Sharon Allin, MSc
Head of Patient Recruitment & Retention, Patient Centricity & Engagement
Biogen

Vicki Dillion
Patient Advocate

Geoff Rollason
Patient Advocate

2026 Co-Chairs

Wafae Iraqi, PharmD, PhD
EMEA Patient Engagement Therapeutic Area Lead
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Daniel Newman
Patient Advocate

Sarah Bottomley
Director, Patient Recruitment
Parexel

Léa-Isabelle Proulx, PhD, MBA
Patient Voice Partner, Strategy, Portfolio & Operations
Roche

Why Now?

It is essential to understand how patient involvement in clinical research can accelerate medicine development, how it can improve better access and inclusivity for all. The R&D community is figuring out how patient data is being used and is finding solutions to reduce protocol complexity for patient ease. The R&D industry is also grappling with an understanding of how patient involvement can help advance sustainable clinical development? It is important to demonstrate the value of patient engagement in clinical trials and to know what’s on the regulatory landscape.

Patients First!

Thanks to patients, we have the following patient initiatives in place:

• Patient advisory groups to gain their input on the program agenda
• Patients have a wide choice of speaking opportunities
• Dedicated patient-led sessions, panels and roundtables
• Patient registration scholarship program covering 100% of the attendee registration fee