Goa, India – January 2025 – The 8th Annual Pharma Project & Portfolio Management 2025, held at the Hilton Goa Resort from January 22nd to 24th, successfully brought together top industry leaders, experts, and innovators to discuss the future of project and portfolio management in the pharmaceutical sector. The three-day event featured insightful discussions, hands-on activities, and interactive sessions designed to equip pharma professionals with strategic tools for managing portfolios and projects efficiently.

Day 1: Strategic Portfolio Management and Global Pharma Trends

The event kicked off with an engaging keynote by Mike Teiler, who highlighted the criticality of balancing portfolios and managing projects and products effectively. He shared insights on the consequences of missing a product launch, emphasizing the adverse effects of compounding revenue loss and its disruption on long-term profitability.

Key topics included:

• The Teva-IVAX acquisition case study, illustrating the impact of R&D investment strategies before mergers.

• The "Make or Buy" decision framework, guiding companies on whether to develop in-house or license products.

• The role of Business Development (BD) professionals in fast-tracking market entry through competitive intelligence.

• The significance of in-house (organic) vs. licensing (inorganic) development and their respective benefits and challenges.

• The importance of project prioritization, effective decision-making, and being adaptable to changing market conditions.

The day concluded with a dynamic Q&A session, where experts discussed the necessity of a "Murder Board" structured approach to reviewing and potentially canceling projects that no longer align with market realities.
The day was also marked by a highly anticipated session by Dr. Bobby George on Geopolitical Situations Impacting the Pharma Industry. Key discussions covered:

• The U.S. BioSecure Act and its provisions affecting Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs).

• The impact of supply chain disruptions and the regulatory landscape under a potential Trump 2.0 administration.

• How India’s cost-effective infrastructure, skilled workforce, and FDA-approved facilities make it a global leader in pharma.

Day 2: Geopolitical Impact, Time Management, and AI in Pharma

Another major highlight was the interactive "Pharma Project and Portfolio Management" skit featuring Mike Teiler and Suryansh Rana, which humorously illustrated the complexities of project execution in a dynamic industry.

Guneet Kaur Hayer led a workshop where audience teams tackled challenges such as:

• The repercussions of poor time management and strategies for optimization.

• Work-life balance methodologies.

• The importance of structured scheduling techniques like Time Blocking, Eisenhower Matrix, and the Rock-Pebble-Sand Theory.

AI’s role in pharma was another key discussion led by Aniruddh Galgali (Cipla), covering:

• AI-powered drug discovery and predictive modeling to accelerate R&D.

• Agentic AI applications in pharma business process automation.

• The challenges of AI adoption, regulatory compliance, and data privacy in the sector.

• The rise of AI partnerships with major players like IQVIA, Google DeepMind, and NVIDIA.

Day 3: Knowledge Retention, Stakeholder Management, and the Future of Pharma

The final day emphasized project knowledge retention and stakeholder management. Abhishek Mittal (Neuland Labs) provided deep insights into:

• The importance of knowledge retention in pharma organizations and how the loss of crucial insights slows industry progress.

• Techniques such as Post-Project Reviews, AI-powered knowledge discovery, and predictive analytics for structured learning.

• The role of a strong corporate culture in knowledge preservation, emphasizing leadership commitment and a no-blame environment.

Sivanandam Kesavan (Biocon Biologics) highlighted the complexities of biosimilar development and the regulatory landscape India must navigate to remain competitive globally.

Sandeep Kaul closed the event with an impactful session on automation in the pharmaceutical industry, exploring:

• The effects of digital transformation on manufacturing and R&D.

• The adoption of smart automation tools to optimize workflows.

• The future of AI-powered project management and how professionals can adapt.

A Resounding Success

The 8th Annual Pharma Project & Portfolio Management 2025 provided invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of pharma project execution, strategy, and innovation. Attendees gained key takeaways on portfolio optimization, geopolitical challenges, AI integration, stakeholder management, and automation.

As the industry continues to evolve, the event reinforced the importance of adaptability, knowledge retention, and innovative thinking in shaping the future of pharma.

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