Views from Asembia: EVERSANA's take on outsourcing, AI, and sales trends

The dust has now settled on Asembia 2026, one of the pharmaceutical industry's most vital forums for specialty pharmacy and commercialisation.

To understand the key trends and client conversations that shaped this year's summit, pharmaphorum sat down with Krista Pinto, a leading commercialisation expert at EVERSANA. After more than 70 meetings with clients and prospects, Pinto shared her insights on the evolving demands for AI, outsourced services, and strategic partnerships.

Q. What was your biggest takeaway this year at Asembia from meeting with clients and prospects?

Krista Pinto: What we’re hearing from clients right now is a clear focus on patient access, affordability, and speed-to-therapy as the industry’s top challenge. “Access” is no longer a support function – it’s a core commercial differentiator.

They’re looking for ways to operate more efficiently while still navigating complexities around access, pricing pressure, and regulatory change. The conversations in our meetings consistently centred on the need for better data integration across the full commercialisation lifecycle, from ensuring launch readiness to optimising performance in the market.

We also discussed how direct-to-patient models continue to be a priority, especially in therapeutic areas where they can reduce friction for patients and give manufacturers more control over the patient journey. Ultimately, organisations are looking for partners who can truly connect strategy to execution and deliver measurable impact. Asembia proved to be the perfect place for these critical conversations.

Q. Is the demand for outsourced commercialisation services still rising?

Absolutely. Commercialisation has become increasingly complex and fast-moving, and many organisations simply can’t manage all of it in-house anymore. The shift is very clear: companies are looking for partners who can do it all – scale quickly, bring specialised expertise, and help them clearly define and deliver the value of their product.

At Asembia, the dialogue has moved beyond one-off outsourcing decisions and towards establishing longer-term, truly integrated partnerships. This end-to-end support model is becoming essential for companies that may not yet have the infrastructure in place, as it provides the experienced teams and capabilities needed for a successful launch. Almost all our meetings this year focused on how we can help companies bring new therapies to market or build stronger existing brands.

Q. AI is an increasingly popular topic. How many clients asked about solutions your team is bringing to market?

AI was a central part of nearly every client conversation, but the discussion has matured significantly. Clients have shifted from asking what AI is to asking how our solutions can be applied responsibly and practically to deliver better outcomes. They are looking for proven use cases that drive real value, particularly in areas like forecasting, patient identification, and operational efficiency.

The expectation now is that AI should be embedded into the core infrastructure of how organisations operate, not layered on top as a separate, experimental project. This is critical because integrating AI directly into the operational backbone – across patient services, training, and research – is what drives true efficiency and effectiveness. While many companies claim to be "all in" on AI, the ones that can point to real, measurable impact are the ones that are truly leading the way.

Q. Any trend you heard relative to outsource sales teams?

We’re seeing a clear shift toward more strategic and integrated outsourcing. As part of broader commercialisation conversations, clients increasingly recognise the value of our infrastructure – intentionally designed to support the complexity of today’s dynamic and evolving launch landscape.

There also continues to be a huge surge in interest for highly specialised experts like medical science liasions – people with both medical and science backgrounds that can be a vital bridge during the launch process.

In the end, it’s no longer just about filling seats; it’s about deploying a team that understands the market landscape and can be integrated seamlessly with other commercial functions like marketing, market access, and patient services.

This approach is a core component of our integrated model, where our teams help clients better position their product in the market. By outsourcing, companies can move quickly on market access and ensure their product’s value story is communicated effectively, which is a significant advantage in today's competitive environment.

About the interviewee

Krista Pinto is president of deployment solutions at EVERSANA. She partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to design and deliver effective, scalable commercialisation solutions. With more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Pinto brings deep expertise in field engagement and commercialisation strategy. She is known for her strong client leadership, therapeutic insight, and ability to translate complex market dynamics into actionable, results-driven solutions. Her experience spans business development, global account management, and the successful execution of large-scale commercial programmes. Pinto has played a key role in numerous product launches across a range of therapeutic areas, including cardiology, oncology, neurology, and urology. She brings a specialised understanding of the evolving launch landscape and the increasing importance of integrated, patient-centred strategies to drive access, adoption, and long-term brand success. Throughout her career, Pinto has been recognised for her leadership, business impact, and commitment to client service. She was named a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association in 2012 and a 2024 Luminary Winner. She has received multiple internal awards from both Syneos Health and EVERSANA for her performance and contributions over her career.