From activity to impact: 5 takeaways from MAPS Americas 2026
June 2, 2026 | Congress, Pharma, healthcare, medical affairs
Across sessions, panels, and conversations on the ground in Denver, there was a noticeable shift in both mindset and momentum. Many of the themes discussed in previous years are now being actively implemented, with teams moving beyond theory and into execution.
Here are five key takeaways shaping the future of Medical Affairs.
1. Medical Affairs is stepping into a strategic leadership role
Medical Affairs is no longer operating at the margins of strategy. It is increasingly being brought earlier into the development process, co-leading product launches, in some situations functionally leading product launch, and influencing enterprise decision-making.
As Gemma Pfister (Senior Consulting Executive, Inizio Ignite) and Eric Wood (Head of Commercial, Transformation, Inizio Ignite) observed, teams are now “required to translate complex science into enterprise value,” reflecting a fundamental shift in expectations.
There is also a growing emphasis on engaging at a more senior level. Varun Renjen (Partner, Inizio Ignite) highlighted the importance of Medical Affairs leaders being able to “speak the pipeline, the top line and the bottom line,” reinforcing the need for commercial fluency alongside scientific expertise.
This evolution marks a turning point. Medical Affairs is not just supporting strategy, it is helping define it.
2. The shift from activity to impact is accelerating
A consistent theme throughout MAPS was the need to move beyond activity-based metrics and demonstrate real, measurable impact.
Jo Ann Saitta (Head of Data & AI, Inizio Ignite), pointed to the growing focus on “where they are moving the needle on patient impact,” with teams increasingly leveraging real-world data to demonstrate changing behaviors and value.
Importantly, this is not about proving value for the first time. As Eric Wood reflected, “medical has already reached the milestone of proving effectiveness.” The challenge now is to communicate that value more clearly and consistently across the organization.
Dean McAlister (Executive Vice President, Biotech Enterprise Solutions, Inizio Biotech) captured this shift powerfully, highlighting the importance of bringing data to life through storytelling: “we move it from hands and feet to the hearts and minds of the people involved.”
The implication is clear. Demonstrating impact is no longer optional. It is a core capability for Medical Affairs teams.
Read the full blog here.
This content was provided by Inizio
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