Asembia's AXS26 Summit Showcases the Future of Specialty Pharmacy & Patient Access

Industry leaders come together to explore new models, emerging trends, and better outcomes for patients with complex conditions

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Asembia's AXS26 Summit eclipsed another record attendance, further cementing the event as a draw for industry leaders from North America and beyond to discuss the latest and best ways to care for the most complex patients and improve their health outcomes.

Nearly 10,000 attendees over four days at Wynn & Encore Las Vegas came together to share ideas, strategies and the latest models to improve patient care, health outcomes and access to life-saving complex medications. Attendees represented stakeholders from more than 1,500 attending organizations including pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, health insurers and prescription benefit companies, patient advocates, consultants, policy makers and other aspects of healthcare and pharmacy.

"When we started this more than two decades ago, about two dozen of us got together to share ideas and ways to improve patient care and the pharmacy's role in improving health outcomes," Asembia President Robert Irene said of the event held April 26-April 30.

"Today, we are thrilled and humbled at what has become a draw for nearly10,000 attendees and more than 200 exhibitors and sponsors from across North America sharing the latest information on newer and better treatments as well as the technology to deliver these medicines," Irene said. "While the industry is producing more effective life-saving treatments, what hasn't changed over the last two decades is how we're all working together in pharmacy to connect the best and brightest minds to generate solutions to positively impact patient care."

At continuing education sessions, general and keynote discussions and panels held throughout the week, more than 225 speakers put a spotlight on the importance of the AXS26 Summit to not only pharmacy and specialty pharmacy but the entire healthcare system as well as its medical care providers and their patients.

Take special guest general session speaker and award-winning actor Charlie Sheen in his candid fireside conversation with national radio host Elvis Duran entitled, "Resilience, Reinvention and the Human Journey" as one example.

"I'm alive today because of Big Pharma," said Sheen who was diagnosed with HIV more than a decade ago and said he takes two life-saving medications a day. "That's how I feel about that. I'm alive and well and thriving."

Other general session speakers told the story of an industry treating more and more patients every day as complex drugs become more available, more affordable and accessible. Luke Greenwalt, Vice President and lead from IQVIA's Center for U.S. Thought Leadership told AXS26 attendees that more than 20% of branded drug net sales are at risk for loss of exclusivity from more than 30 brands with more than $1 billion in annual sales. Meanwhile, it's taking drug makers longer to recoup their research and development costs that average $2.2 billion per drug. "It now takes 44 months for them to recover their R&D costs," Greenwalt said.

And while prescription drugs and the latest therapies are often cited as driving up healthcare inflation, Lisa Gill, JPMorgan 's Head of Healthcare Services research, surprised the audience when she stressed that rising healthcare costs for most payers comes – not from specialty pharmacy or pharmacy– but from other parts of the healthcare system. She said vertical integration among payers and providers was here to stay but these healthcare systems need to move more toward value-based care payment to slow healthcare inflation and improve medical care deliver. In her session, "Pharmacy and Health Benefits at a Crossroads" she said the healthcare system needs to move more toward a payment system where providers are paid "based on outcomes and not volume" of care delivered.

Attendees heard from speakers that described an industry working to better understand patient behavior, consumerism in healthcare and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) can help address barriers to care. As one example, CVS Health Senior Vice President and Chief Digital & Technology Officer Tony Ambrozie talked of the company's new business unit called "Health 100," and its effort to open the front door to health care, "one engagement at a time." In launching Health 100, CVS has partnered with Google Cloud's AI technology to increase consumer and patient engagement and ultimately support better health outcomes.

The size and scale of the Summit reflects the ultimate impact the specialty pharmacy industry has taken and its critical role in the healthcare ecosystem. Speakers said patients and consumers need to better understand specialty pharmacy's role in the broader healthcare system because there is an "opportunity to strengthen patient trust," said Rina Shah, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Specialty Pharmacy at Walgreens. "We need to make it much more convenient for our patients to navigate a complex healthcare system."

Planning for next year's event, which will be held April 25-29, 2027, at Wynn & Encore Last Vegas, is already underway.

"We look forward to continuing the tradition of providing informative speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities, insightful business sessions, interactive exhibits and much more," Irene said. "We're already looking forward to planning for 2027 and continuing the conversation to find ways to bring value to industry attendees through the Summit as well as Asembia's core business offerings."

About Asembia

Asembia is a leading provider of business solutions for specialty pharmaceuticals. The company collaborates with thousands of member pharmacies, manufacturer partners, prescribers, and other industry stakeholders to deliver solutions for the specialty pharmaceutical channel. Through shared business programs, contracting initiatives, patient support HUB services and innovative technology platforms, Asembia is committed to positively impacting the patient journey. Asembia is also the host of the industry's foremost annual meeting of specialty pharmacy stakeholders. For more information, visit www.asembia.com or contact us at: [email protected]

Media Contact:
Bill Fitzgerald
VP Marketing
Asembia
P: 973.564.8004
E: [email protected]

SOURCE Asembia