Inaugural Fierce Pharma Week Brought Together Attendees and Healthcare Partners From Four Separate EventsInaugural Fierce Pharma Week Brought Together Attendees and Healthcare Partners From Four Separate Events
By combining four separate events into one, the first-ever Fierce Pharma Week brought together thousands of industry professionals across four unique communities at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The inaugural Fierce Pharma Week, a gathering for pharmaceutical industry leaders that’s produced by Questex’s Fierce Pharma—an online destination for news shaping the industry—welcomed 3,000 executives, innovators, and strategic decision-makers to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia Sept. 8-11.
Four Conferences in One
In October 2024, Questex announced a new direction for its life sciences events, including consolidating several events down to six, uniting life sciences professionals that span marketing, medical affairs, commercial, communications, R&D, and clinical sectors.
One of the six events is Fierce Pharma Week, which combines four formerly separate events: Digital Pharma East, New Product Planning Summit, Pharma PR & Communications Summit East, and the Medical Affairs Strategic Summit East.
“Since we joined several shows together, we had a powerful message to share with attendees—they would be able to attend even more sessions, more content types, and they would be able to network with their peers across these different areas of pharma,” said Jennifer Woods, vice president and market leader of life sciences/healthcare events at Questex.
“Attendees were excited to learn that they could have access to even more content and enjoy the discussions that came from mixing with peers beyond their own titles/disciplines,” she added about marketing the new combined event to potential attendees.
Playtime at the Puppy Park sponsored by GoodRx at the inaugural Fierce Pharma Week
The program featured 400+ speakers.
Exhibit Hall and Celeb Speakers
The new joint event produced an exhibit hall that was buzzing with more than125 partners, including IQVIA, Syneos Health, and Doceree, where attendees could explore services and products such as healthcare professional identity platforms; medical, legal, and regulatory compliance and med-legal workflow tools; data and analytics options such as key opinion leaders mapping; communications monitoring and social listening tech; and patient support and access services. The Spotlight Stage hosted deep dives into specific topics, product demos, and introductions to new services.
With more than 190 sessions, the four-day event featured keynotes, panels, sessions, workshops, and case studies, covering topics such as patient engagement, omnichannel strategies, and healthcare equity.
Tailored content tracks and community zones were dedicated to four key specialties—pharma marketing, PR and communications, commercialization/new product planning, and medical affairs—with attendees able to freely network and engage across disciplines.
More than 400 executives from Adaptimmune, AbbVie, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Brown University, Ensysce, Genmab, GSK, HEALTH@WPP, Hims & Hers, Johnson & Johnson, Luck Fupus, LLC, Melinta Therapeutics, NBCUniversal, Pfizer, Regeneron, Shionogi, Sanofi US GenMeds, Takeda, University of Illinois Cancer Center, and more presented at the conference.
Additionally, this year organizers added celebrity keynotes, which included fireside chats with actress Jamie Lynn Sigler, former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski, and actress Selma Blair. “We upped our game on high-level speakers this year,” Woods said.
This year's event included 45+ activations.
More than 400 executives from Fortune 500 companies like AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Hims & Hers, Johnson & Johnson, and NBCUniversal, presented at the conference.
Engaging Conference Partners
Attendees were also able to participate in more than a dozen experiential activations including complimentary headshots from Healio Strategic Solutions, doggie playtime at the Puppy Park sponsored by GoodRx, aura readings from Health Monitor, an aromatherapy station presented by Definitive Healthcare, and more.
Woods said this was the biggest year yet for experiential activations with several new offerings. “Attendees gravitated towards the booths with these experiences, and we often saw lines waiting for availability as people took advantage of each unique experience,” she said.
The large conference also served as a platform for some companies to announce news. “More than one sponsor debuted new logos at the conference, highlighting new strategy paths, and using Fierce Pharma Week as a launchpad for that messaging and rollout,” Woods said.
One sponsor hosted a podcast booth on the show floor, and for the first time, “we also featured a press lounge where our editorial staff and attending press could conduct interviews and podcasts in real time,” she added.
From happy hours to indoor golf gatherings, Fierce Pharma Week offered attendees opportunities to continue conversations and make more connections including an evening at Reading Terminal Market, a casino night, and a karaoke party.
The virtual version of Fierce Pharma Week took place Sept. 24-26 and featured recordings of the marketing content that premiered at the event, allowing people who couldn’t attend the live event to take part in the experience as well as offering in-person attendees a chance to catch up on sessions that they may have missed.
On Sept. 11 at the National Constitution Center, the Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards were handed out to the most influential and innovative pharma companies and their marketing agencies during an evening celebration.
With more than 190 sessions, the four-day event featured keynotes, panels, sessions, workshops, and case studies.
Expanded Awards Program
On Sept. 11 at the National Constitution Center, the Fierce Pharma Marketing Awards were handed out to the most influential and innovative pharma companies and their marketing agencies during an evening celebration.
This year, Fierce Pharma received the highest number of entries ever for the awards, which highlight the most impactful campaigns and creative work in the industry. New categories for 2025 included Best Use of AI, Marketer of the Year, Charitable or Philanthropic Campaign, and Influencer-Driven Campaign.
The gala also featured the CINEHEALTH Awards, which recognize excellence in healthcare film and video storytelling. This year, Selma Blair was honored with the CINEHEALTH Lifetime Achievement Award.
“We are extremely pleased with the overwhelming success of the inaugural Fierce Pharma Week. The event brought together the brightest minds across the pharmaceutical industry to break down silos, share perspectives, and collaborate on solutions that will shape the future of healthcare,” Woods said in a statement.
“Our program captured the energy, challenges, and transformation driving the industry forward and offered actionable insights. Fierce Pharma Week is more than an event—it’s a platform for meaningful dialogue, strategic innovation, and community building.”
Fierce Pharma Week 2026 is scheduled to take place Sept. 14-17 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
“Since we joined several shows together, we had a powerful message to share with attendees—they would be able to attend even more sessions, more content types, and they would be able to network with their peers across these different areas of pharma,” said Jennifer Woods, vice president and market leader of life sciences/healthcare events at Questex.
Looking Ahead
Fierce Pharma Week 2026 is scheduled to take place Sept. 14-17 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
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