Pharma launches are breaking. Here’s what leaders need to do differently.

More data isn’t the answer. A new operating model is

Pharma companies are not struggling with access to data. They are struggling to turn that data into coordinated action by day one.

A recent panel at Pharma USA 2026, moderated by Wavestone and covered by Reuters Pharma, brought this challenge into sharp focus. Leaders from AstraZeneca, Chiesi, and Acadia Pharmaceuticals shared what is actually holding launches back and what needs to change.

Their message was clear: more data is not the answer. A new operating model is.

Real-world evidence is now required to change behavior

Strong clinical data alone is no longer enough to influence prescribing decisions.

Dicla Veliz Salce, IO Women’s Cancer Lead at AstraZeneca, described the challenge directly. Even in areas with compelling trial data, physician behavior does not shift until the evidence feels real in practice:
“The moment when they see that this recurrence risk is real in real-world evidence, this is when they are willing to add a new therapy.”

Clinical trial results establish value. Real-world evidence makes that value credible and actionable.

Dilesh Doshi, VP of Global HEOR at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, reinforced the need to go further by capturing patient and caregiver experience early:
“Your loved one might be able to participate in school activities some more.”

These insights translate clinical outcomes into real-world impact. That is what enables meaningful conversations between physicians and patients.

Strategy needs built-in pivot discipline

Agility has become a standard part of launch planning. In practice, most teams have not defined how to apply it.

The most effective organizations are introducing structure into flexibility. They define the strategic destination clearly and set checkpoints to evaluate progress before launch begins.

Veliz Salce offered a simple but powerful analogy:
“I see a strategy as the destination… sometimes you need to take a different path because there is a roadblock.”

The discipline is knowing when to adjust course without abandoning the overall objective.

Smith emphasized the importance of pre-defined decision points. Without them, teams fall into two common traps. They either react to early noise or stay locked into a strategy that is no longer working.

Embedding these “tripwires” ahead of launch allows teams to adapt quickly and confidently once in market.

AI in pharma is changing the customer faster than the launch model

Most AI discussions in pharma launches focus on internal productivity. Faster insights, better training, improved analytics.

The panel highlighted a more important shift — AI is transforming how customers make decisions.

“We were spending so much time thinking about how we were going to use AI that we weren’t thinking enough about how our customers were using AI,” said Smith.

Physicians are increasingly turning to AI tools for clinical answers. Payers are using AI to accelerate access decisions. Expectations for speed and personalization are rising quickly.

Doshi noted that physicians “want the response early and they want the response tailored to their question.” That expectation compresses traditional engagement models and reduces the window for influence.

At the same time, control of the product narrative is shifting. Information now spreads across digital, social, and AI-driven channels that companies do not fully control.

“If you are not dynamic in real-time action, the narrative is going to be controlled by other people,” Doshi warned.

This creates a new requirement for launch teams. Beyond engaging the market, they must monitor and respond to how their story is being shaped in real time.

What this means for launch teams

The shift underway is structural, not incremental.

Leading organizations are moving toward a more integrated, continuous launch model:

• Cross-functional “launch pods” replacing sequential handoffs
• HEOR and patient voice embedded earlier in development
• Regional teams empowered to act on real-time data
• AI-enabled monitoring of market perception and engagement

The objective is clear. Reduce the gap between insight and action.

The question to ask before day one

Many organizations already have the data they need. The challenge is alignment.

A simple diagnostic:

• Are teams interpreting the same data together?
• Have pivot points been defined in advance?
• Can we track how our narrative is evolving in the market?
• Are we listening to voices outside our core planning group?

These questions often surface the gaps that matter most.