Newswise — Princeton, NJ—February 16, 2016—The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) announced its three plenary sessions and speakers for the 21st Annual International Meeting that will be held May 21–25, 2016 in Washington, DC, USA. Each of the three plenary sessions will explore the concepts of the conference theme—Value, Affordability, and Patient Centeredness: Can We Have It All?.

The first plenary session, Accelerating Cures: Addressing Unmet Patient Need or Putting Patients at Risk, is scheduled for Monday, May 23, 2016 and features alternative views on accelerated drug development efforts, as well as the patient view. Plenary speakers include:- Moderator: Eleanor M. Perfetto, PhD, MS, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, National Health Council, Washington, DC and Professor, Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA- Speaker: Jerry Avorn, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA- Speaker: Scott Gottlieb, MD, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, USA - Speaker: Patricia Furlong, Founding President and Chief Executive Officer, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy , Middletown, OH, USA

The second plenary session, Making Medical Decisions in an Irrational World, will be held Tuesday, May 24, 2016 and will focus on emerging behavioral economic models and examine their potential to influence the future design of health plans. Plenary speakers include:- Moderator: Bradley C. Martin, PharmD, RPh, PhD, Professor and Head, Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, AR, USA- Speaker: Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, Staff Physician, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Director, Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics, Leonard Davis Institute, Vice Chairman, Health Policy, Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and Professor of Medicine and Health Care Management, Perelman School of Medicine and Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA- Speaker: Douglas E. Hough, PhD, Associate Scientist, Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

The third plenary session, Contemporary Regulatory and Legislative Issues in Health Outcomes Research, is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The session will feature a discussion of current regulatory and legislative issues with speakers from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pharmaceutical industry, patient advocacy, and a policy think tank. Plenary speakers will address current issues surrounding health outcomes research, including patient-centered research, promotion of health economic claims, and the role of regulatory oversight in a dynamic health care environment. Plenary speakers include:- Moderator: Daniel Malone, PhD, RPh, Professor of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Associate Professor, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA- Speaker: Theresa M. Mullin, PhD, Director, Office of Strategic Programs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA- Speaker: Sascha Haverfield, PhD, MSc, Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, PhRMA, Washington, DC, USA (invited)- Speaker: Marc M. Boutin, JD, Chief Executive Officer, National Health Council, Washington, DC, USA- Speaker: Gregory W. Daniel, PhD, MPH, RPh, Deputy Director, Duke-Robert J. Margolis, MD Center for Health Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

ISPOR is recognized globally as the leading educational and scientific organization for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) and its use in health care decision making. The ISPOR 21st Annual International Meeting draws more than 4,000 delegates from the global HEOR community, including leaders in health care, regulators, researchers, and decision makers. Registration is now open for the meeting with discounted early registration available until April 12, 2016.

Update: March 3, 2016This release was updated to reflect a revision to the third plenary session title and description.

ABOUT ISPORThe International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is a nonprofit, international, educational and scientific organization that promotes health economics and outcomes research excellence to improve decision making for health globally. Web: www.ISPOR.org | LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ISPOR-LIn | Twitter: www.bit.ly/ISPOR-T (@ISPORorg) | YouTube: www.bit.ly/ISPOR-YT |Facebook: http://www.bit.ly/ISPOR-FB

Meeting Link: ISPOR 21st Annual International Meeting