ISPOR 2026: Conference program highlights transformative role of HEOR in policy, access, and value

With the program taking shape and poster acceptances confirmed, ISPOR 2026 will bring the global HEOR community together to share the latest research and examine how evolving evidence standards, pricing pressures, and access challenges are shaping healthcare decision-making.

The annual ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research conference will return May 17–20, 2026 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Bringing together researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and patient advocates from around the world, the meeting remains one of the largest global gatherings dedicated to health economics and outcomes research (HEOR).

Held under the theme “HEOR at the Forefront of Policy, Access, and Value”, the 2026 conference takes place amid significant shifts across the global healthcare landscape. Evolving evidence requirements, growing reliance on real-world data, and renewed debate over pharmaceutical pricing and market access are reshaping how value is assessed and how healthcare decisions are made.

And the location – Philadelphia, where ISPOR held its first conference in 1996 – is particularly fitting for the event. Nearly three decades later, the annual meeting has grown into a major international forum for the HEOR community, reflecting the expanding role of evidence in informing healthcare policy, reimbursement decisions, and access to medicines.

As a media partner for ISPOR 2026 and to help our audience prepare, The Evidence Base is sharing an early preview of the program, highlighting the themes and sessions expected to generate significant interest. Follow us on LinkedIn and register for free to become a member of The Evidence Base community and receive the latest conference updates as they are published.

Plenary sessions

Developed under the direction of the ISPOR 2026 Program Committee, the three plenary sessions will address major policy and access issues shaping healthcare systems and pharmaceutical markets.

US pharmaceutical policy: leading or following?

The opening plenary will examine efforts to reduce US drug prices, including Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) pricing proposals and Medicare negotiations introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act. Moderator Dana Goldman (University of Southern California) will be joined by  Courtney Piron (Novartis) as they discuss the economic and regulatory implications of these policies, exploring how evolving US pricing reforms could influence pharmaceutical innovation, market dynamics, and global access to medicines.

The true cost of cancer: aligning innovation, access, and affordability

A second plenary session will examine the economic burden of cancer, focusing on financial toxicity as an important outcome affecting treatment adherence, quality of life, and survivorship. Scott Ramsey (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center) will moderate the discussion. Speakers will explore strategies to reduce costs while maintaining high-quality care, including care delivery innovations, value-based payment models, and the role of comprehensive cancer centers in improving efficiency and equity. The session will feature Dawn Hershman (Columbia University Medical Center), Stacie Dusetzina (Vanderbilt University Medical Center), and Bobby Green (ThymeCare).

Innovation under pressure: how US drug policy may reshape global access

The third session will examine how evolving US drug pricing and trade policies may influence pharmaceutical innovation, evidence generation, and access to medicines globally. The discussion will consider how US drug pricing policies could affect development decisions, launch strategies, and long-term incentives for innovation. Moderated by Indranil Bagchi (GSK), the session will bring together perspectives from across the HEOR, policy, and industry communities. Joining the moderator will be Lotte Steuten (Office of Health Economics), Darius Lakdawalla (University of Southern California), and Jens Grueger (Boston Consulting Group), who will explore how health systems and manufacturers may need to adapt evidence generation and market access strategies in response to a rapidly changing global policy environment.

Program highlights and poster sessions

Beyond the plenary sessions, the ISPOR 2026 program will include a wide range of issue panels, forums, workshops, short courses, and spotlight sessions addressing topics such as real-world evidence generation, methodological advances in health economics, global pricing and reimbursement policy, and patient-centered outcomes research.

In the weeks leading up to the conference, The Evidence Base will publish a series of in-depth previews highlighting selected sessions and themes from across the program. These thematic overviews will help readers navigate the agenda and identify sessions most relevant to their interests.

Complementing these sessions, ISPOR 2026 will also feature thousands of poster presentations spanning areas such as clinical outcomes, economic evaluation, epidemiology and public health, health policy, health technology assessment, and real-world data. Poster sessions form a central part of the meeting, providing a forum for researchers to share emerging findings, showcase methodological developments, and engage directly with peers. And through discussion and critique from the wider HEOR community, investigators can benchmark their work, refine analytical approaches, and validate new methods.

Extend the reach of your ISPOR 2026 research

Our ISPOR coverage attracts strong engagement from researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders across the HEOR and real-world evidence community. Researchers presenting at ISPOR 2026 can extend the reach of their work through The Evidence Base’s “Peek Behind the Poster” feature. These short interviews accompany poster presentations and provide an opportunity for authors to discuss the motivation behind their research, highlight key findings, and reflect on their implications for the HEOR community.

We also offer a number of other opportunities to showcase your work – from interviews ahead of the conference and session deep dives to webinars that extend learning beyond the meeting. To explore these opportunities, please contact Dionne Basterfield.