Congress Educational Workshop organized by Syreon Research Institure and European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA):
STRENGTHENING THE VOICE OF PATIENTS IN CEE COUNTRIES
| 09:00-12:00 |
Conference room Verige Faculty: Zoltan Kalo, Oana Scarlatescu, Matteo Scarabelli, Réka Pozsár Current value frameworks in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have limited focus on patient centric value elements and patient representatives are rarely engaged in HTA processes. Significant changes are expected in the implementation of HTA in CEE countries in the forthcoming years. This session provides an overview on why HTA processes matter to patient communities in CEE countries, which have more limited patient access to new health technologies compared to Western European countries. It highlights current barriers, expected challenges, and opportunities for considering patient centric value elements and improved patient involvement in HTA in the CEE region. The voice of CEE patients in the HTA process should be strengthened. |
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| 12:00 | Lunch for Pre-congress Workshop participants |
| 13:00 | Welcome address by Zoltan Kalo, Congress Partner |
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| Welcome address by Matteo Scarabelli, on behalf of EFPIA | |
| Welcome address by Maciej Niewada, on behalf of ISPOR Chapter CEE | |
| Welcome address by Giuseppe Maduri, on behalf of EFPIA CEE TF | |
| Welcome address and Congress opening by Dinko Vitezic, Congress Chair |
| 13:30 | Malina Müller, Germany: Healthy returns: A Catalyst for Economic Growth and Resilience |
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| 13:50 | Arkadi Sharkov, Bulgaria: Crossfire Economics: Healthcare Innovation Investment in Central and Eastern Europe |
| 14:10 | Sime Smolic, Croatia: The value of innovations in relation to outcomes, the real impact of political decisions |
| 14:30 | Slaveyko Djambazov, Bulgaria: From Spending to Impact: Rethinking Healthcare Investments in CEE |
| 14:50 | Luka Voncina, Croatia: Healthcare investment and outcomes in Central and Eastern Europe - country case studies |
| 15:10 | Panel discussion: Healthcare investments and outcomes in Central and Eastern Europe Moderator: Herbert Altmann (Germany) Participants: Arkadi Sharkov (Bulgaria), Davor Katavic (Croatia), Giuseppe Maduri (Italy), Luka Voncina (Croatia), Maciej Niewada (Poland), Malina Müller (Germany), Sime Smolic (Croatia), Slaveyko Djambazov (Bulgaria) |
| 15:55 | Roundtable conclusion |
| 16:00 | Coffee & Connect |
| 16:30 | Roisin Adams, Ireland: Reflections and key learning during 15 months of EU HTAR implementation |
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| 16:50 | Matteo Scarabelli, Belgium: Update on companies' experience with the JCA. |
| 17:10 | Katarina Beravs Bervar, Slovenia: Slovenia’s Experience in Joint Clinical Assessments (JCA) and the Broader Implementation of the HTA Regulation (HTAR) |
| 17:30 | Maciej Niewada, Poland: HTA Evolution in Poland: Achievements, Challenges and the Future (personal insights of an eyewitness) |
| 17:50 | Viktorija Erdeljic Turk, Croatia: Readiness of the Croatian Healthcare System to Integrate Joint Clinical Assessments into Reimbursement Decision-Making for New Medicines |
| 18:10 | Panel discussion: Critical Reflections and Lessons Learned from the Implementation of the European Union Health Technology Assessment (EU HTA) Regulation Moderator: Zoltan Kalo (Hungary) Participants: Bertalan Nemeth (Hungary), Guenka Petrova (Bulgaria), Herbert Altmann (Germany), Katarina Beravs Bervar (Slovenia), Maciej Niewada (Poland), Matteo Scarabelli (Belgium), Viktorija Edreljic Turk (Croatia) |
| 18:55 | Roundtable conclusion |
| 19:00 | Welcome & Networking Reception (Lobby) |
| 8:30 | Bertalan Jászkuti, Hungary: Strategic decision frameworks and funding strategies of investigational health technologies in the early development phase |
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| 08:45 | Zoltán Kaló, Hungary: Principles of selecting cost-effectiveness thresholds in price-taker countries |
| 09:00 | Guenka Petrova, Bulgaria: Shared decision-making including the cost of therapy: lessons learned from Central and Eastern and Western European countries |
| 09:15 | Natalija Krunic, Croatia: Access to innovative medicines as a prerequisite for achieving better treatment outcomes from Croatian Health Insurance Fund perspective |
| 09:30 | Dalma Hosszú, Zoltán Kaló, Hungary: Policy recommendations to facilitate drug repurposing in the European Union |
| 09:45 | Bertalan Németh, Hungary: Barriers and facilitators of utilising real-world evidence to support policy decisions in Central and Eastern Europe |
| 10:00 | Coffee & Connect |
| 10:20 | Patrick Jordan , Greece:Orphan Drugs in the Global Spotlight: Trends, Trade‑offs, and Tough Choices |
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| 10:40 | Sandra Rose, Austria: Driving Equity in Rare Disease Treatment: Insights from Central & Eastern Europe |
| 11:00 | Rok Hren, Slovenia: Optimizing Patient Access to Orphan Medicinal Products: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe |
| 11:20 | Srecko Marusic, Croatia: The Economic Burden and Value of Optimized Care in Rare Bone Diseases: Insights from Adult X-Linked Hypophosphatemia (XLH). |
| 11:40 | Robert Babela, Slovakia: Cardiovascular hospitalisation costs and cost-effectiveness of Transthyretin Stabilizers in the Slovak heatlhcare system: a Markov model analysis. |
| 12:00 |
Panel discussion: Critical Reflections and Lessons Learned from the Implementation of the European Union Health Technology Assessment (EU HTA) Regulation Moderator: Zoltan Kalo (Hungary) Participants: Bertalan Nemeth (Hungary), Guenka Petrova (Bulgaria), Herbert Altmann (Germany), Katarina Beravs Bervar (Slovenia), Maciej Niewada (Poland), Matteo Scarabelli (Belgium), Viktorija Edreljic Turk (Croatia) |
| 12:25 | Roundtable conclusion |
| 12:30 | Lunch break |
| 13:15 | Thomas Hofmarcher, Sweden: Beating Cancer Inequalities in Croatia: Are we investing enough in cancer care - and does it pay off? |
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| 13:35 | Goran Bencina, Croatia: Premature mortality and econmic impact of lung and pancreatic cancer in Central and Eastern Europe, 2010 - 2021 |
| 13:55 | Robert Babela, Slovakia: Multiple myeloma as a cross-sectoral fiscal burden in Slovakia: a whole-of-government analysis from 2009 to 2030 |
| 14:15 | Drazen Huic, Croatia: Radioligand therapy - a new chapter in personalized cancer care |
| 14:35 | Réka Pozsár, Hungary: Policy approach to optimize multiple myeloma treatment sequencing practices |
| 14:55 | Dinko Vitezic, Croatia: From single agents to regimens: redefining patient access in the era of combination therapies |
| 15:15 | Panel discussion: From Burden to Breakthroughs: Optimizing Cancer Care Through Policy and Personalized Therapies Moderator: Svetoslav Tsenov (Bulgaria) Participants: Dinko Vitezic, (Croatia), Drazen Huic (Croatia), Goran Bencina (Croatia), Malina Müller (Germany), Réka Pozsár (Hungary), Robert Babela (Slovakia), Thomas Hofmarcher (Sweden), Viktorija Erdeljic Turk (Croatia) |
| 15:55 | Rountable Conclusion |
| 16:00 | Coffee & Connect |
| 16:15 | Mojca Urbančič, Slovenia: Diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment in Slovenia |
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| 16:35 | Ivica Belina, Croatia: Transforming care in AMD and DR: a call-to-action to preserve vision. White paper of patient organizations from CEE Countries |
| 16:55 | Guenka Petrova, Bulgaria: The Economic Burden of AMD and DME: Insights from Cost-of-Illness Studies |
| 17:15 | Joze Sambt, Gregor Brecl Jakob, Slovenia: Lifetime economic and societal impact of multiple sclerosis treatment |
| 17:35 | Aleksandra Kapedanovska Nestorovska, North Macedonia: Implementation of pharmacoeconomic in healthcare - North Macedonian case study cost-effectiveness and reimbursement assessment of siponimod for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) |
| 17:50 | Panel discussion: Economic and Societal Impact of Vision and Neurological Diseases Moderator: Slaveyko Djambazov (Bulgaria) Participants: Aleksandra Kapedanovska Nestorovska (North Macedonia), Bertalan Németh (Hungary), Guenka Petrova (Bulgaria), Igor Rubinic (Croatia), Ivica Belina (Croatia), Joze Sambt (Slovania), Mojca Urbančič (Slovenia) |
| 18:20 | Rountable Conclusion |
| 18:30 | Kornélia Lovas, Hungary: Cost-effectiveness of radiofrequency renal denervation for resistant hypertension in Hungary |
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| 18:35 | Marta Kucan, Croatia: 25 years of statin use in Croatia: have we reduced cardiovascular mortality? |
| 18:40 | Slaveyko Djambazov, Bulgaria: Societal and economic burden of migraine in Bulgaria |
| 18:45 | Darija Krzhovska, North Macedonia: Perspectives on value based healthcare implementation in North Macedonia |
| 18:50 | Evgenija Mihajoska, North Macedonia: Health system challenges in North Macedonia: fragmented data systems, cancer screening gaps, and demographic ageing implications for value-based healthcare |
| 18:55 | Iva Mikulic, Croatia: Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Universal HPV Vaccination in Croatia |
| 20:00 | Congress networking dinner for all registered Congress participants (hotel restaurant, ground floor) |
| 08:30 - 10:15 | Workshop overview: As patient-centered health systems increasingly become the norm, health technology assessment (HTA), regulatory decision-making, and investment strategies are evolving in parallel. Recent policy developments, including the European Medicines Agency’s 2025 position emphasizing the expanded role of patient-reported outcomes (PROs), highlight the growing expectation that outcomes meaningful to patients must be systematically integrated beyond clinical care and into value assessment, reimbursement, and innovation incentives. This shift sits at the core of Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC). This interactive, hands-on workshop explores how ICHOM Standard Sets, grounded in robust clinical and outcomes theory, can be translated from concept to real-world implementation, and ultimately used to strengthen economic evaluation, social value assessment, and investment decision-making. |
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| 10:15 | Coffee & Connect |
| 10:30 | Dinko Vitezic, Croatia: The Cost of Weight: A Pharmacoeconomic Perspective of Obesity Management |
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| 10:50 | Slaveyko Djambazov, Bulgaria: Obesity in Bulgaria: Health Burden, Economic Impact, and the Need for Integrated Care |
| 11:10 | Andrej Belancic, Croatia: Cost-effectiveness of pharmacotherapy for weight management: comparative evidence and future directions |
| 11:25 | Said Wani, Oman: Cost-effectiveness of metabolic bariatric surgeries, incretin-based therapies, and lifestyle modifications for obesity in Oman |
| 11:40 | Spencer Connell, USA: Standardizing Outcomes in Obesity to Drive Prevention, Value, and Long-Term System Sustainability |
| 12:00 | Panel discussion: Pharmacoeconomics of Obesity: Burden, Costs, and Value-Based Treatment Choices Moderator: Bertalan Németh (Hungary) Participants: Dinko Vitezic (Croatia), Ivica Belina (Croatia), Jelena Matuzovic (Croatia), Jurij Furst (Slovenia), Said Wani (Oman), Slaveyko Djambazov (Bulgaria), Spencer Connell (USA) |
| 12:25 | Rountable Conclusion |
| 12:30 | Slaveyko Djambazov, Bulgaria: Melanoma Patient Health Literacy, Perceived Care Quality, and Access to Psychosocial Support: A Cross-Sectional Survey from a Bulgarian Patient Community |
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| 12:35 | Slaveyko Djambazov, Bulgaria: Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Melanoma Using the EQ-5D-5L: A Pilot Observational Study |
| 12:40 | Igor Rubinic, Croatia: Alternative Pembrolizumab Dosing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Pharmacoeconomic Analysis |
| 12:45 | Ivana Stevic, Serbia: Economic Evaluation of the Treatment of Non-Chemotherapy Drug-Induced Cytopenias |
| 12:50 | Sandra Knezevic, Croatia: Economic burden and clinical value of bermegane geperpavec in dystrophic epidermolysis bullose: implications for health systems |
| 12:55 | Dominik Strikic, Croatia: Drug Exists — But Can the Patient Get It? Knowledge of Pharmacoeconomics and Drug Regulation Among Young Physicians in Croatia |
| 13:00 | Karolina Majstorović Barać, Croatia: Folic acid supplementation as a low-cost adjunctive intervention for negative symptoms in Schizophrenia: a pharmacoeconomic perpective for Central and Eastern Europe |
| 13:05 | Marija Kurtov, Croatia: From Brain Energy to Budget Savings: Evaluating the Societal Returns of Creatine Supplementation for Depression in Women |
| 13:10 | Maja Ilijanić Samošćanec, Croatia: Online queries on medication safety during breastfeeding as an indicator of informational uncertainty costs |
| 13:15 | Closing remarks by Slaveyko Djambazov, Congress Partner |
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| Closing remarks and invitation to the next year congress by Dinko Vitezic, Congress Chair | |
| 13:30 | Farewell snack |
| 14:30 | Feedback from the 14th Adriatic Congress on Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research |
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| 15:30 | Proposal for venue, topics and committees for the 15th Adriatic Congress on Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research |
| 16:15 | Collaborative regional research opportunities |