Sun 6 Sep
8:00 - 12:00
Applied Generative AI for HEOR: Introduction
Session Type: Short Course
Topics: Methodological & Statistical Research
Level: Introductory
Separate registration required.
The rapid advancement in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) presents an opportunity for transformative potential in the field of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR). This course provides an introductory understanding of generative AI models with a particular focus on large language models (LLMs), which are transforming the field of HEOR. Participants will be provided with an overview of the most appropriate ways to access LLMs, going beyond the use of chatbots. Further, they will be given insights into how to use prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and agents to conduct scientific research and gain an understanding on issues pertaining to privacy and security when using GenAI for HEOR. Participants will further explore specific applications of these models for conducting robust scientific HEOR research in, for example, systematic literature reviews (SLR) and economic evaluation. The course aims to equip participants with the knowledge to begin to use generative AI techniques for specific HEOR contexts and to appreciate how these innovative approaches can enhance HEOR activities. Practical exercises using Python and relevant AI frameworks will be incorporated for participants to follow along.
PREREQUISITES: Students should have a general understanding of common HEOR concepts such as SLRs and cost-effectiveness models. Knowledge of Python or similar programming languages such as R is considered a benefit but not required.
Speaker
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Timothy Reason, BSc, MSc
Estima Scientific, United Kingdom
Tim Reason is co-founder of Estima Scientific and specializes in AI and evidence synthesis, having spent 15 years in the field of HEOR and technology. Tim is managing director of Estima, driving business activities, innovation and strategy for the company. Tim’s specializes in the intersection of HEOR, software development and AI to drive better outcomes for patients. Tim is the lead author on 2 seminal papers in AI for HEOR, showing that AI can be used to automate health economic modelling and NMA.
8:00 - 17:00
Budget Impact Analysis in Practice: A Hands-On Course in Strategic Conceptual Design, Model Building, and Communication
Session Type: Short Course
Topics: Economic Evaluation
Track: Economic Evaluation
Level: Intermediate
Separate registration required.
This hands-on, interactive course equips participants with the conceptual and practical tools needed to develop, adapt, and communicate budget impact analyses (BIA) for real-world decision making.
The course begins with a brief review of BIA concepts and a 6-step approach to strategically design these analyses. We will discuss practical applications, including customization to accommodate payer-specific data; balance of structural simplicity, accuracy, and face validity; interpretation of results; and development and communication of compelling value messages. Technical topics will include static versus dynamic budget impact models, good Excel model-building practices, considerations for device and diagnostic technologies, and incorporation of realistic features such as patient copayments and availability of generics.
Instructors will walk through 2 budget impact models programmed in Excel (1 static and 1 dynamic) and will work with participants during hands-on exercises to customize and adapt these models to specific real-world circumstances. These Excel-based models will be provided to participants in advance, both for use during the session and for later reference. Throughout the course, participants will have opportunities to network and to work in small groups to discuss key concepts, plan and implement model adaptations, and develop and communicate value narratives.
This course is designed for participants seeking to deepen their understanding of BIA, gain practical exposure to Excel-based models, and strengthen their ability to communicate BIA in ways that influence decision making. Registrants who wish to participate in the interactive portions of the course will need to bring materials for handwrtten activities.
PREREQUISITE: Participants are expected to have familiarity with basic BIA concepts and working knowledge of Microsoft Excel. A microcourse on the basics of BIA is available in the ISPOR Education Center.
Speakers
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Stephanie Earnshaw, MS, PhD
Peritia, Morrisville, NC, United States
Stephanie Earnshaw has performed health outcomes and health services research for 30+ years. Her research focuses on applying decision-analysis techniques (eg, decision trees, Markov processes, simulation) to industry-related issues and health care problems. In addition to developing budget-impact and cost-effectiveness models to support health technologies for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostic and medical device industry, she has developed innovative mathematical models using these methods to determine pricing strategy, predict clinical outcomes, allocate resources, and cost care pathways particularly in support of medical diagnostics.
Dr. Earnshaw received her PhD in Industrial Engineering at North Carolina State University and is a member of ISPOR and the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences. She has presented her work at professional conferences and has published in several peer-reviewed journals. She has presented workshops and various courses on decision-analytic modeling techniques for pharmaceutical companies and organizations such as ISPOR, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Earnshaw has served on the ISPOR Board of Directors and as Chair of the Audit Committee and Educational Council. She has held an Adjunct Faculty appointment at the University of North Carolina’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, is honored as a Distinguished Alumni in Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University and is one of the lead authors of “Budget-Impact Analysis of Health Care Interventions: A Practical Guide.”
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Thor-Henrik Brodtkorb, PhD
RTI Health Solutions, Ljungskile, Sweden
Thor-Henrik Brodtkorb, PhD, is executive director in Health Economics at RTI Health Solutions (RTI-HS). He holds a PhD in Health Technology Assessment from the University of Linköping and has been with RTI-HS for 12 years. He has been teaching courses in decision-analytic modeling at Linköping University as well as presented workshops and short courses on decision- analytic modeling techniques for organizations such as Pharma Industry Sweden, Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU), and ISPOR.
At RTI-HS, Dr. Brodtkorb leads the development of cost-effectiveness, cost- utility, cost-consequence, and budget-impact models for pharmaceutical, device, and diagnostic technologies. These models have been used to support reimbursement decisions in more than 15 European countries including NICE in UK, SMC in Scotland, TLV in Sweden, and NOMA in Norway. He has developed models and analyses in the areas of oncology, alcohol dependence, major depressive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, dermatology, multiple sclerosis, cardiology, orthopedics, and asthma. His research has been presented at professional conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. He is also a co-author of the book “Budget-Impact Analysis of Health Care Interventions: A Practical Guide.”
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C. Daniel Mullins, PhD
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. He is founder and executive director of the University of Maryland PATient-centered Involvement in Evaluating effectiveNess of TreatmentS (PATIENTS) Program. He received his BS in Economics from M.I.T. and his PhD in Economics from Duke University. His research and teaching focus on comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). Dr. Mullins has received funding as a Principal Investigator from AHRQ, FDA, NHLBI, NIA, NIMHD, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and various patient advocacy organizations and pharmaceutical companies. He is the lead for the Community & Collaboration (C&C) Core of the University of Maryland Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) and co-lead of the C&C Core for Johns Hopkins’ CTSA.
Professor Mullins is 1 of 2 editors-in-chief for Value in Health and is author of over 325 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. At the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), he received the Dr. Patricia Sokolove Outstanding Mentor Award and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty Diversity Award. He was named Researcher of the Year at UMB and was awarded a University System of Maryland Wilson H. Elkins Professorship. He is a past recipient of the Dr. Daniel D. Savage Memorial Science Award, the Association of Black Cardiologists’ most prestigious annual award, and the ISPOR Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award.
13:00 - 17:00
Practical Applications of Large Language Models for Real-World Evidence Generation and HEOR
Session Type: Short Course
Topics: Methodological & Statistical Research
Level: Intermediate
Separate registration required.
Examine large language models (LLMs) from industry leaders such as OpenAI, Anthropic AI, Google, and Meta, focusing on their application in real-world evidence generation and HEOR. The course covers technical LLMs, including their architecture, embeddings, context window, tokenization and token cost, hallucinations, fine-tuning vs prompting vs retrieval augmented generation, risk-based frameworks, and current task-specific live benchmarks used for model assessment.
Participants will learn prompt engineering through hands-on, practical examples, empowering them to utilize commercially available LLMs with a token efficiency mindset. These examples include scientific literature retrieval, PICO extraction and processing, extracting and handling numerical data and summarizing tables and figures.
Upon completing this in-depth course, participants will gain the competencies needed to use LLMs responsibly for practical applications in RWE and HEOR, while remaining mindful of regulatory obligations. The course will include an introduction to agentic AI. To participate in practical exercises, attendees are required to bring a personal laptop and have access to a personal or corporate LLM account with file upload functionality.
PREREQUISITE: General knowledge of chat-based LLMs (GPT, Claude, etc) is essential. This is an intermediate course, and students should have prior knowledge of AI and have used chat based LLMs in a professional/work setting.
Speakers
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Manuel Cossio
Cytel, Dubendorf, Switzerland
AI Engineer and Head of AI Solutions at Cytel with 13+ years of experience in HEOR. I lead the development of AI-driven solutions for evidence generation, economic modeling, and HTA landscaping—including EU JCA and market access. With expertise across both pharma and CRO consulting, I’m committed to advancing patient care through smarter, AI-enabled decision-making.
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Benjamin Bray, MD, MBChB, MSc, FFBCS
Lane Clark and Peacock, London, United Kingdom
Dr. Ben Bray is a medical doctor and epidemiologist and is Evidence Generation lead at LCP Health Analytics. He has been working in health data science and epidemiology for over 12 years and has extensive experience in the development and validation of machine learning models and in applications of AI using health data. He has authored over 60 publications including in The Lancet, BMJ and PLOS Medicine and has co-authored multiple reviews on the use of AI and machine learning in various therapy areas. He holds an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer post at King’s College London, focusing on research into machine learning analytics using large health databases.
Mon 7 Sep
7:00 - 8:00
Morning Coffee Service
Session Type: General Meeting
7:00 - 18:00
Registration Hours
Session Type: General Meeting
7:15 - 11:15
Poster Session 1
Session Type: Research Posters
Posters will be on display from 7:15 - 11:15. Presentation time will be 9:15 - 10:00.
8:00 - 9:15
Welcome and Opening Spotlight Session
Session Type: Spotlight
Join us for the official opening of the ISPOR Asia Pacific Summit 2026. ISPOR leadership and key stakeholders will kick off the Summit by spotlighting how health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) advances affordable access to healthcare innovation across the region. Immediately following the welcome remarks, the scientific panel will take the stage.
9:15 - 10:00
Poster Session 1 Discussion Period and Coffee Break
Session Type: General Meeting
10:00 - 11:00
Real-World Evidence for Value-Based HTA: Unlocking Affordable Access to Chronic Disease Care in Asia-Pacific
Session Type: Workshop
Topics: Health Policy & Regulatory, Clinical Outcomes, Real World Data & Information Systems
Level: Intermediate
Chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease account for most long-term healthcare spending. However, reimbursement and clinical decisions are often based on short-term trials, creating uncertainty of long-term effectiveness, safety, and budget impact. As health systems face fiscal pressure while ensuring timely access to innovation, real-world evidence (RWE) is essential for complementing trial data and mitigating decision uncertainty.
In this context, disease registries and population-level EHR or claims databases offer complementary strengths. Integrating these sources strengthens comparative effectiveness and economic modeling, supporting more sustainable, value-based Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and coverage decisions.
This 60-minute workshop will examine how RWE infrastructures in Hong Kong and Taiwan inform HTA, reimbursement, and clinical decision-making in chronic disease management.
The session will begin with a brief overview (5 minutes) of evolving HTA needs in Asia, highlighting uncertainty in coverage decisions and the complementary role of RWE in informing them.
A first case example (15 minutes) will present Hong Kong’s integration of the Hong Kong Diabetes Register with territory-wide EHR data to support longitudinal outcome assessment, risk prediction, and lifetime patient-level cost-effectiveness modeling for reimbursement decisions.
The panel will then examine Taiwan’s national ASCVD initiative (15 minutes), where nationwide claims data identified gaps in lipid management, informing risk-stratified clinical pathways and a National Health Insurance reimbursement pay-for-performance program.
A third presentation (15 minutes) will discuss RWE on changes in metabolic syndrome prevention from a Primary Care–Based National Lifestyle Intervention Program and its implications for effectiveness and prevention policy.
The session will conclude with a 10-minute moderated discussion on methodological, governance, and implementation considerations in embedding RWE into HTA and coverage frameworks.
Moderator
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Bor-Sheng Ko, PhD, MD
National Taiwan University Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Dr. Bor-Sheng Ko is currently serving as an associate professor in National Taiwan University College of Medicine (NTUMC), and the director of the Department of Hematological Oncology at the National Taiwan University Cancer Center. Additionally, he works also as an attending physician in the Division of Hematology at the Department of Internal Medicine in the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH), and holds the position of director at the Tai-Cheng Cell Therapy Center at National Taiwan University. He obtained his medical degree from the NTUMC in 1995 and completed his clinical training in internal medicine and Hematology/Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) fellowship at the NTUH. In 2011, he earned his PhD from the Institute of Clinical Medicine at NTUMC. Dr. Ko spent a year as a visiting research scholar at The University of Texas Health Science Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, USA from 2006 to 2007. He also worked as a joint investigator at the National Health Research Institute in Taiwan from 2010 to 2014. Dr. Ko was elected as the President of Taiwan Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation from 2019 to 2022. He also served as the president of the Taiwan Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research (TaSPOR/ISPOR Taiwan Chapter) from 2018 to 2023, and currently is still the executive director; in addition, he is member of Executive Committee of Asian-Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation (APBMT) Group. Currently he is the president of the Hematology Society of Taiwan (HST). His research interests focus on hematopoietic diseases and HSCT, and pharmaco-economics. Recently, he has been involved in establishing databanks, conducting big data analysis, and integrating machine learning and deep learning algorithm into medical practice. Dr. Ko is an active scholar who has published numerous works in reputable international journals within his areas of interest.
Speakers
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Juliana N Lui, PhD
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Fei-Yuan Sharon Hsiao, PhD
College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Dr. Fei-Yuan Sharon Hsiao is an Endowed Professor of the Graduate Institute of Clinical Pharmacy at the College of Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU), and serves as an Adjunct Researcher at National Taiwan University Hospital. Her endowed position stems from the prestigious 2025 NTU Academic Advancement Youth Chair Professorship—a highly competitive honor recognizing outstanding young faculty members.
Most notably for this ISPOR audience, Professor Hsiao serves as President of the Taiwan Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research (TaSPOR), which is the ISPOR Taiwan Chapter (2024-present). She also holds the distinguished position of Associate Editor of Value in Health for ISPOR (2019-present). She serves as Board Member on Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration, notably playing a pioneering role in building Taiwan's pharmacovigilance system since 2010, demonstrating how resource-limited health authorities can effectively utilize real-world evidence in regulatory decision-making. She also serves on multiple committees within Taiwan's National Health Insurance Administration, helping shape decision making.
As a leading pharmacoepidemiologist with over 200 peer-reviewed publications, Professor Hsiao has established herself through sophisticated real-world data linkage studies addressing critical knowledge gaps in optimal drug use from a population perspective. Her distinguished career includes multiple prestigious recognitions: the Ministry of Science and Technology Ta-You Wu Memorial Award (2019), the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology Ronald D. Mann Best Paper Award First Prize (2016)—one of the highest honors in pharmacoepidemiology—and numerous NTU Outstanding Paper Awards (2012-2024). Her exceptional mentorship has resulted in students receiving multiple international awards, including the ISPE Andrew McAfee Award (2024) and Stanley A. Edlavitch Award Second Place (2024). Her research creates tangible societal impact through evidence-based policy influence, with her leadership roles on national committees positioning her findings at the forefront of healthcare policy decisions affecting millions of patients.
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Elise Chia Hui Tan, MHA, MS, PhD
China Medical University, Taiwan, Taichung, Taiwan
Rewriting the Global Evidence Playbook: China’s Growing Role in Evidence Generation and Global Decision Making
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Real World Data & Information Systems, Health Technology Assessment, Health Policy & Regulatory
Level: Intermediate
Issue
China’s biopharmaceutical ecosystem is shifting from a domestically oriented model (“in China for China”) to a bidirectional evidence model, increasingly linking China and ex-China decision making. On one hand, China’s scientific capabilities, accelerated R&D timelines, and expanding pipeline are prompting multinational companies to source Phase 1/2 innovations from Chinese innovators, creating rising demand for China-generated clinical data to support global development (“in China for ex-China”). Clinical trial data from China are increasingly viewed as globally portable when design, execution, and quality standards align, enabling earlier global development, indication expansion, and post-approval commitments. Real-world evidence generated in China, however, is not yet broadly transferable to other jurisdictions for payer decision making. Differences in data provenance, coding, care pathways, and representativeness create a comparability gap. This emerging clinical-versus-real-world dichotomy raises strategic questions about where China evidence can credibly support global value and access today, and what would be required for tomorrow.
Overview
Presentations (~15 minutes each) will cover: drivers of China’s growing role in globally acceptable clinical evidence and what makes trial data exportable; why China RWE remains limited for ex-China use, and what advances could narrow the gap; and bidirectional frameworks for using ex-China evidence to support China access and China evidence to support global access. Panelists will also discuss how these questions play out in practice from regional biopharmaceutical, academic/policy, and private-sector RWE infrastructure perspectives. The panel will conclude with an audience discussion to surface practical principles and guardrails for integrating China and global evidence streams to improve patient access to innovations.
Moderator
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Lung-I Cheng, PhD
AESARA, Somerville, MA, United States
Global market access and value executive with 15+ years of experience across oncology, cell and gene therapy, and rare diseases. Led pricing, HTA, reimbursement, and evidence strategies across the US, Europe, China, and emerging markets, spanning pipeline through launch and lifecycle. Experience includes leadership roles at Takeda, Amgen, and Cencora, with a strong track record in cross-functional alignment, global access strategy, and translating evidence into decisions that expand patient access and portfolio value.
Speakers
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Yingyao Chen, PhD
Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Sheng Feng
LinkDoc Technology, Beijing, China
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Donald Shih, MASc, MBA
Takeda, Singapore, Singapore
11:00 - 11:15
Networking Break
Session Type: General Meeting
11:15 - 12:15
Japan’s Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation System: A Seven-Year Review of Experience and Policy Evolution
Session Type: Other Breakout Session
Topics: Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment
Level: Introductory
Purpose: The objectives of this session are to review the seven-year evolution of Japan’s Health Technology Assessment (HTA) system since its formal introduction in 2019, to understand the administrative and technical challenges encountered during its operation, and to provide the latest updates on policy reforms discussed at the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo).
Description: Japan implemented its formal cost-effectiveness evaluation system in April 2019. Unlike the "gatekeeper" HTA models adopted in certain European countries, Japan utilizes HTA primarily for post-launch price adjustments. This session provides a multi-dimensional review of its progress.
The session will begin with a brief introduction by the moderator, Prof. Akazawa, who will outline the session's objectives and the roadmap for the discussion (5 min). This will be followed by Prof. Komoto, who will trace the history from initial discussions at Chuikyo through the pilot phase to formal implementation, focusing on the political consensus-building and the design philosophy required to establish HTA in Japan (13 min). Prof. Ikeda will then elaborate on current operations, highlighting the technical appraisal process, and a summary of evaluation results to date (13 min). Dr. Kobayashi will present recent policy developments and future directions, covering recent trends in Chuikyo discussions regarding the expansion of HTA application and revisions to price adjustment mechanisms (13 min). Finally, moderated by Prof. Akazawa, the panel will discuss various impacts of the system, followed by a Q&A session (16 min). This session is intended for researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers interested in the current status and future of HTA in Japan.
Moderator
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Manabu Akazawa, MPH, PhD
Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Japan
Professor of Meiji Pharmaceutical University and an executive committee member of the ISPOR Japan Chapter. MPH from Yale University (2001) and PhD from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Research interests are pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and healthcare services research in various disease areas including Cancer, diabetes, pneumonia, and other chronic conditions in elderly.
Speakers
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Shigekazu Komoto, M.D., Ph.D.
Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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Shunya Ikeda, MSc, PhD, MD
International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Japan
Dr. Shunya Ikeda graduated from the School of Medicine, Keio University in 1987. He obtained a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Doctor of Medical Science (PhD) from the Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University.
He previously served as a Visiting Scholar at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, a Lecturer in Health Policy and Management at Keio University School of Medicine, and a Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW). Since April 2017, he has been Professor of Public Health at the School of Medicine, IUHW.
He serves on several national advisory committees on healthcare reimbursement and vaccination policy. He also served as President of the ISPOR Japan Chapter.
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Makoto Kobayashi, PhD
Crecon Medical Assessment Inc., Tokyo, Japan
Advancing Patient Partnership in Asia Pacific: From Local Experience to Regional Action
Session Type: Workshop
Topics: Patient-Centered Research, Health Policy & Regulatory, Study Approaches
Level: Introductory
PURPOSE: Patient engagement in drug development and healthcare decision-making has evolved in the US and EU, but patient partnership across Asia Pacific (APAC) remains variable due to differences in healthcare systems, cultural perspectives, advocacy infrastructure, and policy environments. As APAC healthcare systems seek to improve affordability, equitable access, and patient-centered care, meaningful patient partnership is becoming important, yet implementation remains inconsistent.
This interactive workshop will examine challenges and opportunities for strengthening patient engagement across APAC, emphasizing practical approaches aligned with regional healthcare systems, cultural contexts, and resource constraints. Through presentations, live polling, and audience discussion, participants will identify barriers, emerging best practices, and actionable strategies to support patient-centered healthcare decision-making and regional collaboration.
DESCRIPTION: Dr. Yeh will open the workshop with an overview of the US and EU evolution of patient engagement in drug development, evidence generation, and healthcare decision-making, followed by discussion of opportunities and challenges within APAC, including cultural perspectives, disease perception, stakeholder expectations, and health-system readiness. Professor Suh will discuss the current landscape and future opportunities for patient engagement in South Korea. Professor Lui will present on the evolving role of patients in Hong Kong, using 20 years of real-world diabetes registry data to show how patient-reported outcomes are associated with broader health outcomes, while highlighting opportunities and challenges within the local healthcare system. Professor Ou will share perspectives from Taiwan, including initiatives for patient-centered research and healthcare evaluation.
Audience participation will be integrated through live polling and discussion. Participants will compare experiences across countries, identify barriers, and share examples of emerging patient partnership initiatives. The session will conclude with potential actions for strengthening patient-centered healthcare decision-making across APAC.
Moderator
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Danny Yeh, PhD
Aesara, Burlingame, CA, United States
Speakers
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Hae Sun Suh, MA, MS, PhD
Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
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Juliana N Lui, PhD
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Huang-tz Ou, PhD
National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Dr. Huang-tz (Anita) Ou is a health economist and Professor at National Cheng Kung University, specializing in real-world evidence (RWE), cost-effectiveness modeling, and policy-relevant health economics and outcomes research (HEOR). She is a core advisor to Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement system and leads multi-country research collaborations and value framework initiatives adopted by national authorities and payers. Dr. Ou currently serves as Executive Director of the Taiwan Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research (TaSPOR). She is a core expert for Taiwan’s Drug Benefit Evaluation, Health Technology Re-assessment (HTR), and First-in-Class Drug Pricing Committees, and serves as an official delegate to the Pharmaceutical Benefit and Reimbursement Scheme Joint Committee under the NHI Administration. Her research leverages national claims, surveys, clinical registries, and electronic health records to generate robust RWE, supporting health policy and reimbursement decisions. She has published extensively on clinical effectiveness, economic burden, and patient preferences, and advocates for HEOR’s strategic use to guide evidence-based policymaking, resource optimization, and high-value care. Dr. Ou is Associate Editor for Cardiovascular Diabetology and Pharmacoeconomics. Her research and service have been recognized with major honors, including the ISPE Rising Star Award (2015), Taiwan’s Ta-You Wu Memorial Award (2020), Young Scholars’ Creativity Award (2021–2024), and the Excellent Young Scholars Award (2023–2026). In 2025, she received the prestigious LEAP Fellowship (2025–2027) from the Foundation for the Advancement of Outstanding Scholarship in Taiwan. Dr. Ou earned her PhD in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Michigan in 2010.
12:15 - 13:30
Lunch
Session Type: General Meeting
12:15 - 16:15
Poster Session 2
Session Type: Research Posters
Posters will be displayed 12:15 - 16:15. Presentation hour will be 14:30 - 15:15.
13:30 - 14:30
AI-Powered Evidence Synthesis in SLRs and TLRs: Navigating Divergent HTA Guidance and Expanding Use Beyond Regulatory Submissions
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment, Methodological & Statistical Research
Level: Intermediate
ISSUE:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming evidence generation in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), particularly in systematic and targeted literature reviews (SLRs/TLRs). Its application spans both HTA and non HTA contexts—including clinical development, market access, real world evidence (RWE), and medical affairs—enabling more efficient synthesis of large, complex evidence bases and supporting faster, more scalable, and consistent workflows.However, expectations for the use of AI in evidence synthesis remain fragmented across HTA bodies. Requirements related to transparency, reproducibility, validation, and human oversight vary considerably by jurisdiction, reflecting differing levels of maturity in the adoption and governance of AI methodologies. This inconsistency creates uncertainty for stakeholders conducting multi-country submissions and broader evidence generation programs, particularly in the absence of a harmonized framework.
OVERVIEW:
This panel convenes international experts to examine the current and emerging role of AI in systematic and targeted literature review (SLR/TLR) workflows across both HTA and non HTA settings. As AI adoption accelerates, stakeholders must navigate increasing evidence volume, methodological complexity, and divergent regulatory expectations.
Panelist A will outline how AI is being applied across SLR/TLR workflows—including clinical evidence generation, real-world evidence (RWE), and medical affairs—and highlight where industry adoption is advancing ahead of formal methodological guidance.
Panelist B will explore how HTA bodies (e.g., NICE, CADTH/CDA, PBAC, C2H) approach AI-assisted evidence synthesis, focusing on differences in expectations for transparency, reproducibility, validation, and human oversight; Panelist B will share practical strategies for aligning AI-enabled workflows.
Panelist C will provide an academic perspective on how Western and Eastern HTA systems are adapting to AI use, including insights from the Japanese regulatory context and implications for cross-regional alignment.
The session will conclude with an interactive discussion.
Moderator
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Sven Demiya, MBA, MSc, PhD
IQVIA Solutions G.K. Japan, Minato-ku, Japan
A seasoned professional in Real-World Evidence (RWE), Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), and clinical development, with over 20 years of experience across pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and global healthcare consultancies. I hold an academic background in engineering and computational biology, with advanced degrees including a PhD (Dr.-Ing.), Dipl.-Ing., and an MBA.
Speakers
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Yvonne Lee, MPH, PhD
IQVIA Solutions Asia, Singapore, Singapore
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Keiko Asakawa, PhD
Astellas Pharma Inc, Tokyo, Japan
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Ataru Igarashi, PhD
Faculty of Pharmacy, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan
Ataru IGARASHI, Ph. D. is working as an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo since 2024. He formerly worked at the Unit of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Yokohama City University of Medicine from 2019, after served at the Department of Drug Policy and Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo from 2008. He graduated from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo and got the license of pharmacist on 2002. He started his job in The University of Tokyo as assistant professor, just after he got his Ph.D. degree on 2008. His areas of expertise are health economics, pharmacoeconomics. Several results of his research, such as vaccination policies, anti-smoking policies and some medications, were partially considered in governmental decision making process.
Precision Medicine at a Crossroads: Reimbursement and Access Barriers Across Asia and Sustainable Pathways
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Health Technology Assessment, Health Policy & Regulatory, Economic Evaluation
Level: Intermediate
Precision medicine (PM) is increasingly viewed as a critical strategy for shifting healthcare from reactive treatment toward predictive, preventive, and personalized care. Across Asia, governments are actively investing in genomic infrastructure and biobanks, digital health systems and AI platforms. However, without unbiased HTA evaluation and sustainable funding mechanisms, PM adoption may remain slow, fragmented, and inequitable.
Supported by HTAsiaLink, the Precision HeAlth Transformative Technology Assessment Initiative (PHAT-TAI) builds on prior work in PM economic evidence, HTA methodology, and reference case development. This session focuses on real-world reimbursement and access barriers from the perspectives of payers, providers, patients, regulators, and industry stakeholders across Asia.
In the first 10 minutes, Wenjia Chen will provide an overview of infrastructure and funding landscape, as well as findings from a six-country multi-stakeholder study, focusing on evidentiary, funding, regulatory, infrastructure, patient and social barriers and corresponding enablers for selected PM applications representing the future PM ecosystem, including precision public health interventions, NGS applications for rare diseases, oncology, pharmacogenomics, and AI-empowered PM platforms.
In the second 10 minutes, Parnnaphat Luksameesate will present Delphi consensus findings on the most influential barriers and enablers across stakeholders and countries, DEMATEL causal pathway analyses on their interrelationships, and 9-country workshop findings identifying sustainable reimbursement and financing pathways and leveraging points.
In the third 10 minutes, Nordin Charafi will present real-world Asian examples of successful and unsuccessful PM adoption, focusing on how reimbursement design, financing mechanisms, stakeholder alignment, and implementation readiness influenced outcomes.
A 15-minute moderated audience discussion will follow. This session will benefit HTA researchers, policymakers, payers, clinicians, implementation scientists, patient groups, and industry stakeholders interested in sustainable PM adoption in Asia.
Moderator
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Alec Morton, BSc, MSc, PhD
National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Speakers
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Wenjia Chen, PhD
National University of SIngapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Parnnaphat Luksameesate, PhD
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Nordin Charafi, BSc, MSc
Illumina, Singapore, Singapore
14:30 - 15:15
Poster Session 2 Discussion Period and Coffee Break
Session Type: General Meeting
15:15 - 16:15
The Impact of Joint Clinical Assessment System in Europe on Asian Health Technology Assessment
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Health Technology Assessment, Health Policy & Regulatory, Real World Data & Information Systems
Level: Intermediate
ISSUE: The European Union (EU) introduced the Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) system, a coordinated approach to comparative clinical assessment, while preserving national authority over pricing and reimbursement. Since the JCA is procedurally embedded, its methodological principles may influence HTA systems in Asia beyond EU. Although the Asian HTA agencies are unlikely to replicate the JCA, its approach is influential so that selective methodological convergence may be plausible in Asia. Therefore, it will be important to discuss the feasibility of country-level adaptation of JCA-aligned system, regarding the wide spectrum such as HTA maturity, data availability, different policies in Asian HTA.
OVERVIEW: The moderator, Isao Kamae, opens the session and provides an overview of the session’s objectives and the importance of cross-border policy learning in Asia, suggesting selected key JCA elements as being transferable to Asia such as structured Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcomes (PICO) framing, comparator selection anchored in clinical practice, prioritization of patient-relevant outcomes, and explicit characterization of uncertainty framing(5 min). Hong Li will present an overview of the JCA in EU, addressing the relevant context of current HTA systems in China, Taiwan and Singapore regarding the selected key elements(15 min). Makoto Kobayashi and Jeonghoon Ahn presents the country-specific issues to adopt the JCA elements in Japan and Korea, respectively (10 min for each). Subsequently, the panel will engage in a discussion to compare the divergence and convergence in Asian HTA related to JCA, taking the questions from the audience (20 min). The focus is not a review of Asian HTA systems, but discussions on how the expectations for comparative effectiveness evidence described by the JCA in EU may diffuse across jurisdictions in Asia, which will be beneficial for any participants in government, industry and academia.
Moderator
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Isao Kamae, DrPH, MD
Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
Isao Kamae, Former ISPOR President 2021-2022, is Japan's foremost expert in HTA and pharmacoeconomics, serving as a project professor of HTA, The University of Tokyo, Japan, since 2012.
He was the first Japanese awarded a Doctor of Public Health in health decision sciences, Harvard University, in 1995, and gained a lot of international experience including an advisory expert for WHO and OECD. He previously worked in medical schools and the national university hospitals in Japan with more than 200 papers and 30 books publication.
He was awarded ISPOR Distinguished Service Award four times for great contributions to ISPOR, regarding the first Asia-origin ISPOR Board of Director 2004-2006, the founding President of ISPOR Japan Chapter in 2005-2009, a founder for the ISPOR Asia Consortium, and ISPOR Asia-Pacific Conference. In 2019 he published an English textbook on “Health Technology Assessment in Japan,” which made an impact on global community of HTA.
Speakers
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Hong Li, PhD
University of Cincinnati, Winchester, MA, United States
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Makoto Kobayashi, PhD
Crecon Medical Assessment Inc., Tokyo, Japan
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Jeonghoon Ahn, MA, PhD
Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
Dr. Jeonghoon Ahn is a full professor at the Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Korea) and an adjunct fellow at the National Evidence-based healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA), Seoul, Korea. He is an expert on health technology assessment (HTA) and health economics. He worked 7 years in NECA and served in various decision making and advisory committees of public agencies such as the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services (HIRA) and the Korean Centers for Disease Control (KCDC). Professor Ahn has graduated the Seoul National University Department of International Economics for undergraduate and master program. He also received a PhD in Economics from the University of Southern California (USC) and was an assistant professor of pharmaceutical economics and Policy at the USC. Dr. Ahn has served on international professional organizations such as ISPOR, HTAi, INAHTA, and HTAsiaLink. He cofounded a regional HTA agency network, the HTAsiaLink (www.htasialink.org) with other regional experts.
16:15 - 16:30
Networking Break
Session Type: General Meeting
16:30 - 17:30
Educational Symposium
Session Type: Educational Symposia
17:30 - 18:30
Networking Reception
Session Type: General Meeting
Tue 8 Sep
7:00 - 8:00
Morning Coffee Service
Session Type: General Meeting
7:00 - 15:30
Registration Hours
Session Type: General Meeting
8:00 - 9:00
Access to Vaccines through National Immunization Programs: Why Does It Take So Long and What Can Stakeholders Do?
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment, Epidemiology & Public Health
Level: Intermediate
ISSUE:
Vaccine evaluation is still largely shaped by drug-centric HTA frameworks focused on individual-level outcomes (e.g., cost per QALY). While appropriate for therapeutic interventions, these approaches do not fully capture the population-level, time-sensitive, and transmission-related value of vaccines.
Although challenges in targeting appropriate populations and demonstrating value are shared across health technologies, vaccines differ in their need for rapid, broad uptake to generate public health impact and interrupt transmission. As highlighted by lessons from COVID-19, delayed implementation can significantly undermine health and economic outcomes, reinforcing the importance of timely access and system readiness.
In practice, translating vaccine value into policy adoption remains complex and fragmented. Multiple stakeholders, including HTA bodies, NITAGs, Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance, operate with differing objectives, evidence expectations, and timelines. Real-world evidence (RWE) and implementation experience are often underutilized early in decision-making, contributing to delays between availability, evaluation, and national immunization program (NIP) adoption.
OVERVIEW:
The session will use Rotavirus and Dengue prevention as anchoring examples to discuss toward an integrated framework among HTA evaluation, policy guidance (NITAG) and real-world implementation insights
Each panelist will speak about 10 minutes on reimbursement decision making for vaccine, delays and potential solutions from a different perspective.
Finally, all panelists will come together for 15 minutes to reconcile their thoughts, reflect on challenges in applying the current HTA framework for drugs on vaccines, and brainstorm the roles of multiple stakeholders to sustainably address some of these challenges.
The last 15 minutes will be allocated for questions and answers with the audience
Moderator
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Ka Keat Lim, MSc, RPh, PhD
Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
Speakers
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Donald Shih, MASc, MBA
Takeda, Singapore, Singapore
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Baudouin Standaert, PhD
University Hasselt, Antwerp, Belgium
The Flexible Application of ICER Thresholds Across APAC: Frameworks and International Experience
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Health Technology Assessment, Health Policy & Regulatory, Economic Evaluation
Level: Advanced
Issue:
Across APAC, CEA and ICERs are applied variably within HTA systems, ranging from informing reimbursement decisions (e.g., Korea, Australia) to guiding pricing and repricing (e.g., Japan). Fixed ICER thresholds are increasingly challenged by therapeutic complexity and the need to reflect broader societal values. Concerns arise when ICERs are used as pass/fail rules or primarily as cost-containment tool rather than part of holistic value assessment.
There is growing recognition that ICER interpretation should be flexible and context-sensitive, considering disease severity, unmet need, rarity, patient-relevant outcomes, innovation type, and system priorities. HTA bodies are adopting threshold ranges, modifiers, and complementary decision criteria. The policy challenge is introducing flexibility transparently and operationalize it through clear governance, explicit criteria and consistent deliberation without undermining consistency, equity, or access to innovative medicines.
Overview
The moderator will provide a 10–minute overview of HTA systems and ICER use across APAC and summarize global experience.
The Japan academic expert will discuss how flexibility can be operationalized within appraisal frameworks in applying cost-effectiveness evidence to repricing decisions, including governance and consistency.
The industry speaker will highlight the risks of rigid ICER thresholds as cost-containment tools, including implications for timely access to high-value innovative medicines and recognition for broader clinical, patient, and societal benefits.
The Korea academic expert will address methodological approaches for more structured deliberative processes, leading to better decision making, including the use of modifiers and integration with multi-criteria frameworks.
The session will conclude with moderated discussion on when ICER flexibility is justified, what evidence should support it and how APAC HTA systems can distinguish value assessment from affordability management, helping HTA systems better balance innovation, timely patient access, and long-term funding sustainability within diverse APAC contexts.
Moderator
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Zhe Huang
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Beijing, China
Speakers
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Jeonghoon Ahn, MA, PhD
Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
Dr. Jeonghoon Ahn is a full professor at the Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Korea) and an adjunct fellow at the National Evidence-based healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA), Seoul, Korea. He is an expert on health technology assessment (HTA) and health economics. He worked 7 years in NECA and served in various decision making and advisory committees of public agencies such as the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services (HIRA) and the Korean Centers for Disease Control (KCDC). Professor Ahn has graduated the Seoul National University Department of International Economics for undergraduate and master program. He also received a PhD in Economics from the University of Southern California (USC) and was an assistant professor of pharmaceutical economics and Policy at the USC. Dr. Ahn has served on international professional organizations such as ISPOR, HTAi, INAHTA, and HTAsiaLink. He cofounded a regional HTA agency network, the HTAsiaLink (www.htasialink.org) with other regional experts.
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Ataru Igarashi, PhD
Faculty of Pharmacy, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan
Ataru IGARASHI, Ph. D. is working as an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo since 2024. He formerly worked at the Unit of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Yokohama City University of Medicine from 2019, after served at the Department of Drug Policy and Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo from 2008. He graduated from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo and got the license of pharmacist on 2002. He started his job in The University of Tokyo as assistant professor, just after he got his Ph.D. degree on 2008. His areas of expertise are health economics, pharmacoeconomics. Several results of his research, such as vaccination policies, anti-smoking policies and some medications, were partially considered in governmental decision making process.
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David Bin-Chia Wu, PhD
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Singapore, Singapore
9:00 - 9:15
Networking Break
Session Type: General Meeting
9:15 - 10:15
AI Agents for Health Economic Model Adaptation in Asia Pacific: Efficiency Gain, Submission Risk, or Evaluation Challenge?
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Economic Evaluation, Health Technology Assessment, Study Approaches
Level: Intermediate
ISSUE: Interest in artificial intelligence (AI) for HEOR is increasing across Asia Pacific, particularly where it can support adapting global health economic models to local settings, translating technical materials, interpreting local evidence, and supporting model quality checks. However, AI use in model adaptation raises important questions for stakeholders involved in reimbursement submissions. This panel will debate which AI-supported model adaptation activities are feasible and acceptable, which remain too risky, and what validation, disclosure, and governance standards are needed before AI-assisted outputs can be used confidently in APAC reimbursement submissions.
OVERVIEW: The moderator will provide a 10-minute overview of the emerging use of AI agents in HEOR modeling, interpretation, adaptation and validation across Asia Pacific, including translation, local evidence interpretation, HTA requirement mapping, model adaptation logs, and model quality control. Each speaker will present for 10-minutes each. Shilpi Swami will discuss the consultant perspective, focusing on where AI can support model adaptation workflows, reduce duplication, improve consistency, and help modelers manage complex multilingual evidence across APAC markets. Adrian Goh will provide the submitter perspective, including how AI-supported materials may be used in submission preparation and how companies may respond if payers, HTA bodies, or PSP reviewers question AI-generated evidence interpretation or assumptions. Alec Morton will discuss the academic and HTA policy perspective, including what level what human validation is needed before AI-supported model adaptations are considered acceptable and how we can expect the HEOR job market to evolve. The session will conclude with audience questions.
Moderator
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Syed Salleh, PhD
ConnectHEOR, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Speakers
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Shilpi Swami
ConnectHEOR, London, United Kingdom
As Vice President of Consulting and Strategy at ConnectHEOR, Shilpi Swami provides both scientific and strategic leadership, guiding evidence generation and market access initiatives across the globe. She also serves as Chair-Elect of the ISPOR Oncology Special Interest Group and is a frequent speaker at leading scientific and policy forums, where she brings clarity and authority to complex healthcare access challenges. Shilpi is an internationally recognized leader in consulting, named among the World’s Top 25 Women Leaders in Consulting 2025 – a distinction that spans the entire consulting industry. Her multidimensional career – spanning academia, consulting, and biopharma equips her with a rare ability to bridge perspectives across research, policy, and industry. She has led numerous high-stakes HTA submissions and access strategies, combining methodological rigor with practical solutions that resonate with regulators, payers, and biopharma stakeholders. Shilpi is widely respected not only for her expertise but also for her people-first approach. She embodies the belief that Kindness is Cost-Effective™, demonstrating that strength in leadership comes from pairing scientific excellence with empathy, collaboration, and impact.
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Adrian Goh, BEc, MA
Novartis, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Alec Morton, BSc, MSc, PhD
National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
MFN, IRP, and the Korean Pricing Dilemma: Navigating External Pressures and Domestic Patient Access
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment
Level: Introductory
ISSUE: Korea's pharmaceutical pricing system, long grounded in health technology assessment and negotiated list prices, now faces unprecedented external pressure. The renewed U.S. Most Favored Nation (MFN) initiative aims to benchmark American prices against the lowest prices in developed markets, while international reference pricing (IRP) networks across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific increasingly anchor on Korean prices. A fundamental question emerges: will MFN and IRP accelerate or undermine Korean patient access to innovative therapies — and which policy responses will best protect Korean patients?
OVERVIEW: This 60-minute issue panel convenes three contrasting perspectives — from a pharmaceutical industry association, a pricing analyst, and a government or academic policy expert — to debate how MFN and IRP are reshaping Korea's pricing landscape and patient access dynamics.
The first panelist will argue from an industry policy perspective that MFN and IRP are already undermining Korean patient access by altering global launch behavior, delaying innovative therapies, and discouraging transparent list pricing in Korea; protective responses are urgently needed.
The second panelist will provide an empirical anchor, presenting quantitative analysis using the published list prices of recently listed drugs in Korea as reference benchmarks against U.S. prices under an MFN scenario. The findings reveal where Korean prices actually stand and how this positioning differentially affects access across therapeutic areas, complicating simple narratives.
The third panelist will offer a government or academic counter-perspective, arguing that MFN and IRP, while disruptive, may also create opportunities for value-based pricing reform and equitable access mechanisms aligned with fiscal sustainability and evidence-based principles.
A moderator will frame the debate, conduct opening and closing audience polls to track shifts in attendee views, and facilitate structured exchange. Participants will leave with sharper insight into trade-offs facing Korean pricing policy amid accelerating global pricing interdependence.
Moderator
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Hyun Jin Han, MBA, MPH, PhD
Vista Health, Seoul, Korea
Speakers
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Borami Kim, MPH
KRPIA, Goyang City, Korea
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Jinyong Noh
Medison Pharma, Seoul, Korea
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Siin Kim, MS, PharmD, PhD
Kyungsung University, Busan, Korea
10:15 - 10:30
Networking Break
Session Type: General Meeting
10:30 - 11:30
From Inform and Consult to Co-Design and Co-Refine: Are APAC Health Systems Ready for Multi-stakeholder Partnerships?
Session Type: Issue Panel
Topics: Patient-Centered Research, Organizational Practices, Economic Evaluation
Level: Intermediate
ISSUE: In the Asia-Pacific (APAC), over 258 million people live with a rare disease, yet only a third receive the best evidence-based care. One contributing factor is the fragmented, largely top-down way many health systems engage patients, clinicians and other stakeholders in access and reimbursement decisions. While meaningful progress has been made, patient input remains supplementary in most appraisal processes across the region. The session will debate whether incremental reform is sufficient, or whether health systems need to move decisively toward partnership models where stakeholders share greater influence, responsibility and decision-making power.
OVERVIEW: Multistakeholder engagement in access decisions making has been a subject of discussion for many years, but the conversation hasn’t effectively moved on from ‘why it’s important?’ to ‘how to achieve it?’. This shift is critical for rare diseases; with small populations and limited data, deep collaboration is the only viable path to accurately determining value.
The session is structured as a moderated issue panel with three panellists representing payer, patient advocacy, and researcher. The moderator will deliver a 10-minute opening presentation to set the scene followed by a 10-minute presentation by each panellist. Representing the payer perspective, Fiona Pearce will explore practical approaches to overcoming barriers to integrating patient-generated evidence into appraisal processes. As a patient advocate, Ekawat Suwantaroj will share perspectives on how to address barriers to collaboration and how patient groups may act as catalysts. Raoh-Fang Jasmine Pwu will address the dual role of researchers guiding policy direction and supporting other stakeholders (e.g., patients, clinicians and manufacturers) in providing meaningful input. The session will culminate in moderated discussion and audience Q&A.
The session targets payers, HTA decision-makers, patient advocates, researchers, clinicians, and industry stakeholders involved in rare disease policy or access strategies in APAC. Participants will gain insight into how different health systems and stakeholders are promoting collaboration.
Moderator
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Smarth Lakhanpal, PhD
Avalere Health, Singapore, Singapore
Speakers
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Fiona Pearce, MPH
APAC HTA & Payer Expert, Sydney, Australia
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Raoh-Fang Jasmine Pwu, MS, PhD
Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan
Dr. Raoh-Fang (Jasmine) Pwu is the CEO of the Data Science Center at Fu-Jen Catholic University and an adjunct Assistant Professor at Taipei Medical University. Trained as an epidemiologist at the College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, she possesses expertise in research design and the analysis of large/claims databases. Dr. Pwu's career has been dedicated to advancing healthcare through research and policy. She pioneered the use of decision-modeling analysis in Taiwan and co-founded a consulting firm specializing in clinical/epidemiological research, data analysis, and economic evaluations. She played a pivotal role in the development of Taiwan's health technology assessment (HTA) system, serving on the INAHTA Board and founding HTAsiaLink. From 2016 to 2023, as Director of Taiwan's National Hepatitis C Program Office, she led the country's efforts to combat the disease, achieving significant advancements in strategic planning, implementation, and patient outcomes. Dr. Pwu is a strong advocate for patient-centered healthcare. Believing that patient voices are crucial in healthcare decision-making, she serves as Dean of the Patient Leaders Academy. This role empowers patient groups to participate in National Health Insurance reimbursement and policy decisions. She also actively supports organizations like the Taiwan Rare Disease Foundation and the Hope Foundation for Cancer Care, and serves as an expert in HTA for the Legislative Yuan Health and Welfare Committee.
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Ekawat Suwantaroj, Masters Degree
Thai Rare Disease Foundation, Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
Integrating Financial Risk Protection into HTA and Coverage Decision-Making: Conceptual Foundations, Emerging Methods, and Evidence
Session Type: Workshop
Topics: Health Technology Assessment, Economic Evaluation, Real World Data & Information Systems
Level: Intermediate
Health systems aim not only to improve population health, but also to protect individuals and families from the financial consequences of illness. Financial hardship from out-of-pocket medical spending and income loss remains a major concern globally. As countries pursue universal health coverage and value-based health care, there is growing interest in incorporating financial risk protection (FRP) into health technology assessment (HTA) and coverage decision-making. However, key methodological and policy questions remain unresolved: how should FRP be measured, how should it be considered alongside health outcomes and cost-effectiveness, and what evidence exists on the impact of health interventions and coverage policies on financial protection? This workshop will review conceptual frameworks, emerging methods, and empirical evidence on FRP and discuss implications for HTA and coverage decisions.
Saxena will open the workshop by discussing the policy relevance of FRP and its growing role in HTA and coverage decision-making across health systems. Chaiyakunapruk will present a case study from Thailand’s universal health coverage experience, including chronic kidney disease and the “Peritoneal Dialysis First” policy, to illustrate how FRP evidence can inform HTA and coverage decisions. The case will highlight how coverage policies affect out-of-pocket spending, catastrophic health expenditure, medical impoverishment, and access to care. Hu will present evidence from China on the financial and distributional consequences of alternative health insurance coverage policies for multiple sclerosis, showing how extended cost-effectiveness analysis and microsimulation can jointly evaluate health outcomes, FRP, and equity impacts. Jiao will summarize key methodological developments and introduce emerging approaches for incorporating FRP into economic evaluation and decision-making, including value-of-insurance and multi-objective decision frameworks.
The session will conclude with an interactive discussion and audience Q&A on methodological challenges, implementation considerations, and opportunities for integrating FRP into HTA and coverage decisions internationally.
Moderator
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Akshar Saxena, PhD
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
Speakers
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Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk, PharmD, PhD
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Dr.Chaiyakunapruk is a Professor in the College of Pharmacy at The University of Utah. His expertise is in Health Technology Assessment and Health Policy. He has applied health economics, real world data analysis, and evidence synthesis to support national and global policy, especially his contributions to the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control. His current research works have been focused on health equity, health economics, and advanced methodology in evidence synthesis. He is a co-author of CHEERS 2022 (Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards Statement) and WHO guide for standardization of economic evaluations of immunization programmes, 2nd edition. He was a co-founder of the ISPOR Asia Consortium, an adviser of National Essential Drug List Selection Subcommittee of Thailand and a member of Health Economic Working Group of Benefit Package Selection Committee of National Health Security Office Thailand. Dr.Chaiyakunapruk has an H-index of 62 and is an author of more than 300 international publications in peer-reviewed journals.
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Min Hu, PhD
Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Boshen Jiao, MPH, PhD
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
11:30 - 12:45
Lunch
Session Type: General Meeting
11:30 - 15:45
Poster Session 3
Session Type: Research Posters
Posters will be on display from 11:30 - 15:45. Presentation time will be 15:00 - 15:45.
12:45 - 13:45
Educational Symposium
Session Type: Educational Symposia
13:45 - 14:00
Networking Break
Session Type: General Meeting
14:00 - 15:00
From HTA Report to Interactive Decision Aid in a Day: Generative AI–Augmented HEOR Communication for Policymakers, Payers, and Public
Session Type: Other Breakout Session
Topics: Health Technology Assessment, Economic Evaluation, Health Policy & Regulatory
Level: Intermediate
PURPOSE: Session objectives are to (1) demonstrate how generative AI–assisted development can rapidly translate a published cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) into a stakeholder-facing interactive dashboard; (2) introduce a theory-grounded framework for designing decision-maker–facing CEA dashboards that reduces stakeholder cognitive burden; (3) examine, potential adoption and its policy implications of AI-augmented HEOR communication for HTA practice in Asia Pacific; and (4) engage the audience in multi-perspective discussion bridging HEOR-methods, economics-policy, and public-sector decision-maker viewpoints.
DESCRIPTION: CEAs are typically disseminated as static manuscripts, leaving non-technical stakeholders to imagine how findings apply to their context. This gap has been constrained by the development cost of interactive tools, which require Shiny or web-programming expertise rarely concentrated in HEOR teams, particularly in APAC HTA settings. Generative AI–assisted code development has lowered this barrier: a working interactive dashboard can now be built from a validated economic model in a day, and theoretical design principles can be operationalized into code with the large language model serving as a translation layer. The session will open by framing the CEA-to-stakeholder communication gap and the APAC HTA context (15 minutes, Nathorn). A live demonstration of building a Shiny dashboard for a US workplace influenza vaccination return-on-investment model will follow, walking through an employer scenario and reconstructing the AI-assisted development workflow (25 minutes, Jeong-Yeon). The original economic modeler will discuss methodologic rigor and validation under AI-assisted workflows (10 minutes, Richard). The session will close with moderated audience discussion on validation standards, perception of the audience on the value of LLM-generated artefacts, and the case for HTA-agency requirements for interactive supplements alongside static dossiers (10 minutes, Nathorn). This session may offer value to HEOR researchers, HTA staff, employers, payers, policymakers, and anyone who are interested in AI-augmented dissemination of HEOR works.
Moderator
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Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk, PharmD, PhD
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Dr.Chaiyakunapruk is a Professor in the College of Pharmacy at The University of Utah. His expertise is in Health Technology Assessment and Health Policy. He has applied health economics, real world data analysis, and evidence synthesis to support national and global policy, especially his contributions to the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control. His current research works have been focused on health equity, health economics, and advanced methodology in evidence synthesis. He is a co-author of CHEERS 2022 (Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards Statement) and WHO guide for standardization of economic evaluations of immunization programmes, 2nd edition. He was a co-founder of the ISPOR Asia Consortium, an adviser of National Essential Drug List Selection Subcommittee of Thailand and a member of Health Economic Working Group of Benefit Package Selection Committee of National Health Security Office Thailand. Dr.Chaiyakunapruk has an H-index of 62 and is an author of more than 300 international publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Speakers
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Jeong-Yeon Cho, PharmD, PhD
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Richard Nelson, PhD
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
"If Not Now, When?" Transitioning APAC HTA from Health-Sector to Societal Perspectives
Session Type: Other Breakout Session
Topics: Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment, Organizational Practices
Level: Intermediate
Purpose
As the Asia-Pacific region faces rapid population aging and a rising chronic disease burden, traditional HTA perspectives that focus solely on direct medical costs are increasingly at odds with broader government goals.
While jurisdictions like China and Thailand have adopted societal perspectives, others like South Korea have recently regressed due to perceived complexity. Others like Canada and New Zealand are progressing with trials of the societal perspective. This panel will debate the moral, economic, and practical imperatives for adopting a broader value framework.
Description
• The "Job Remit" vs. Cabinet Goals: Should HTA agencies ignore societal costs simply because they fall outside the health budget, even when Finance Ministries (e.g., NZ/UK Treasury) mandate a societal view for budget bids and recommend departments use this approach?
• Is there evidence that failure to adopt a societal perspective leads to sub optimal allocative efficiency?
• Are there problems associated with ethics when adopting a societal perspective?
• The BRAVER Roadmap: How can APAC jurisdictions use a stepwise approach to incorporate priority elements like equity and caregiver HRQoL spillovers?
Panelist Perspectives:
• The Industry Advocate Carsten Schousboe (Roche): Arguing that failing to count indirect costs results in "systemic underbidding" for resources and suboptimal patient access and that many of the arguments against adoption don’t stand up to scrutiny.
• The Patient Representative Dr Malcolm Mulhollad MNZM (Massey University): Highlighting and the necessity of recognizing the burden on family units and incomes.
• The Academic Theorist Prof Lotte Steuten (Office of Health Economics): Highlighting the foundational welfare economic theory as a reason as well as Public finance theory rationales. Charting a road map using BRAVER.
Moderator
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Lotte Steuten, MSc, PhD
Office of Health Economics, London, United Kingdom
Lotte Steuten, PhD Deputy Chief Executive of the Office of Health Economics; former Member, Board of Directors, ISPOR
Prof Lotte Steuten is deputy chief executive of the Office of Health Economics (OHE), the world’s oldest independent health economics research organization, based in London, UK, and a globally recognized expert in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR).
Her research addresses challenges in valuing and paying for innovative therapies, with the aim of achieving effective, accessible, affordable, and efficient healthcare for all. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers on topics including the value of novel treatments, diagnostics and prevention for a wide range of non-communicable and infectious diseases.
With 2 decades of experience across Europe, the United States, and Asia Pacific, she advises governments, industry, and other organizations worldwide. She is frequently sought by media and international stakeholders for expert commentary on HEOR, value assessment, health policy innovation, and evolution of health technology assessment globally.
Alongside her position at OHE, Prof Steuten is a visiting honorary professor at City St George’s, University of London. Prior to joining OHE, she held academic faculty positions at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington in the United States. She earned her PhD (with honors) from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
Speakers
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Carsten Schousboe, MSC, BA, BCom
F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, Singapore, Singapore
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Malcolm Mulholland, PhD
Patient Voice Aotearoa / Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
15:00 - 15:45
Poster Session 3 Discussion Period and Coffee Break
Session Type: General Meeting
15:45 - 17:00
Closing Spotlight Session
Session Type: Spotlight
As the Summit draws to a close, ISPOR leadership and key stakeholders will offer a brief reflection on key themes from the Summit and share important updates on ISPOR’s scientific direction. Immediately following the closing remarks, the scientific panel will take the stage.
