FPM Annual Symposium 2025 Programme

In the face of substantial changes, across many aspects of the healthcare landscape, ranging from reductions in globalisation and internationally harmonised approaches to growing mistrust and misinformation, the ability to deliver innovation that benefits global healthcare has become much more challenging. This session will explore how to sustain and foster innovation in uncertain times, identifying opportunities amid this global uncertainty and discussing how to navigate through this period of intense change, with the goal to harness innovation to promote security and equity in healthcare and ensure access to treatments for all.

Healthcare equity has always been a challenge to deliver reliably, despite being a focus for many years. Recently, however, the repositioning of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, combined with reduced international funding for global development, has made this goal increasingly difficult to achieve. We will hear thoughts on the impacts of these challenges and how we can work to actively influence the delivery of equal opportunities in our specialty. Whether through creating momentum through major initiatives or multiple small changes, how can we ensure that we do not lose sight of our objectives and continue to serve the widest populations in need?

Hear our morning speakers take questions and discuss their views on the themes of innovation, change and inclusivity.

Explore our afternoon deep dives taking a closer look at the following topics: Pharmaceutical Medicine’s Future Role in the Health of Women; Communicating on the Front Line: Understanding and Transparency in Health Care and Medicines; New Technologies in Pharmaceutical Medicine; Research and Development for Our Ageing Population.

Explore the growing potential to create a lasting and positive impact on the health of women across multiple areas of health ranging from cardiovascular, respiratory, oncology, reproductive, and menopausal health. Our panel of speakers will examine research and development across a multitude of areas, sharing insights from both patient and industry perspectives. They will highlight areas of opportunity and challenges to improve the lived experiences of women impacted by conditions that could benefit from greater awareness, improved accessibility to existing treatments, or novel approaches. Discuss the current and desired future states of women’s health, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, societal expectations, and much more.

As healthcare becomes more complex and public discourse more fragmented, effective communication is both more difficult and more critical than ever. This session explores the challenges of transparency, trust, and understanding in a rapidly evolving landscape. We will examine the growing influence of social media, the rise of misinformation, and whether current regulatory frameworks, and our interpretation of them, remain fit for purpose. With insights from leading voices across journalism, regulation, science communication and industry we will consider how to ensure that accurate, responsible communication continues to support innovation, informed choice, and public confidence in medicines and healthcare.

We have an essential role ensuring that new treatments are safe and effective, and that risks to patients are minimised through careful product development phases. This is a well-established process for pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and devices, but an emerging area in digital therapeutics and artificial intelligence. We will hear about new technologies presented by FPM’s New Technology Expert Group members, and understand the opportunity for our medical knowledge and skills to be applied to all new technologies as they are developed, so they are used safely and effectively.

Please note that the morning session will be live-streamed.

In an age of uncertainty – is age just a number? Enabling our society to thrive as it ages reveals multiple opportunities and challenges for pharmaceutical medicine. Older people are the majority users of medicines yet particularly in their most advanced years are under-represented in clinical development programmes. Engage in a thought-provoking session which brings together advocates and experts with a wide range of perspectives ranging from patient advocacy to pharmaceutical physicians. Explore advances across preventative and treatment strategies, societal expectations and choices, longevity, digital innovation, novel therapies and much more.

Please note that this session will be live-streamed.

COVID-19 highlighted the fragility in our ability to freely live our lives. It also highlighted the power of science and innovation to protect and restore our ways of life, saving and protecting millions of lives. Innovation however requires alertness and agility to respond rapidly, as well as implementation and delivery, relying on complex networks of discovery, development, manufacturing and distribution to realise the benefits.

Health emergencies will undoubtedly recur, so we cannot ignore the need to be prepared for as yet unknown threats. How can we remain alert and agile in times of increasingly disparate global perspectives, infrastructure and misinformation?