Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: We surveyed HEOR leaders in pharmaceutical companies to solicit their views on current trends and future expectations for the field of HEOR.
METHODS: We invited 100 US-based Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) senior professionals in pharma to participate in the survey. Following a seven-person pilot test, we engaged a convenience sample of 100 U.S.-based HEOR leaders from 72 pharmaceutical companies, prioritizing large pharmaceutical companies (based on 2024 revenue data and membership in PhRMA or the National Pharmaceutical Council) as well as smaller companies that subscribe to Tufts-CEVR databases.
RESULTS: Among 100 recipients, 59 from 46 companies responded. Roughly half anticipated that their department’s size and budget would remain the same in the next year, while one third predicted it would increase. Respondents from smaller companies (<30,000 employees) were more likely to expect growth in size and budget. Most (80%) agreed that senior leaders at their companies viewed HEOR and RWE as critical to company success, and 86% expected that HEOR would become increasingly important in RWE-based strategic decisions. Primary HEOR applications included health technology assessments (80%), internal planning (53%), and clinical trial design (53%). Most (69%) reported using AI in their work, particularly for literature syntheses. Eighty percent stated that their companies supported using AI, and just over half (57%) expressed enthusiasm. Most (71%) did not believe AI would replace their jobs within 2 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Respondents had mostly positive views about prospects for HEOR departments, with smaller company respondents being more optimistic, highlighting that the function seems resilient amidst restructuring uncertainties and possibly flat budgets going forward. AI is increasingly becoming a part of HEOR work, but HEOR professionals are determining how best to apply these new tools.