We’re excited to offer an early preview of our upcoming National Day, scheduled for late November 2026 in Ottawa — where important conversations around Canada’s evolving life sciences landscape will take centre stage.
Canada’s life sciences sector is facing a rapidly shifting global environment, where pricing pressures, trade dynamics, supply chain uncertainty and evolving access frameworks are reshaping how medicines and health technologies reach patients. This National Day will bring together policy leaders, industry executives, patient voices and system experts to examine how Canada can respond to these pressures while protecting timely access, strengthening domestic capacity and supporting innovation.
More details coming soon — but consider this your early heads-up to keep November open.
For attendees travelling to Ottawa, a block of guest rooms has been reserved at the Delta Hotels Ottawa City Centre at a preferred conference rate.
CAHR National Day MeetingStart Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2026 End Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Conference Hotel Delta Hotels Ottawa City Centre Group Rate: CAD $349.00 per night (plus applicable taxes and fees) Reservation Deadline: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Rooms are available at the special conference rate until November 4, 2026, or until the room block is sold out, whichever occurs first. We encourage attendees to reserve their accommodations early to ensure availability.
Reserve your room: Click here to book your group rate for the CAHR National Day Program.
AGENDA
8 am NETWORKING BREAKFAST
8:50 am WELCOME & HOUSEKEEPING
Emcee: Bill Dempster, 3Sixty Public Affairs
9 am KEYNOTE
Set the stage with a global scan of the pricing and access environment, including how larger markets, trade pressures and evolving reimbursement expectations are reshaping launch strategies and market prioritization. This keynote will examine what these shifts mean for smaller markets like Canada, where policy choices on pricing, review timelines and access conditions can directly affect whether, when and how new medicines are brought to patients.
Speaker: Neil Grubert, UK-based Pharmaceutical Market Access Consultant
9:45 am From Task Force to Action: Next Steps for Canada’s Life Sciences Sector
This panel will review the work and recommendations of the Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences Sector Task Force, with a focus on what comes next for government, industry, researchers and health system partners. Panelists will discuss how Canada can translate the Task Force’s advice into concrete policy action, strengthen the conditions for investment and innovation, and ensure that the next phase of life sciences strategy supports both economic competitiveness and timely patient access.
Speakers:
Michelle Boudreau, former Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Policy Branch, Health Canada and Co-Chair of the federal Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences Task Force
Paul Petrelli, Vice President and General Manager, Gilead Sciences Canada
Dre Stéphanie Michaud, President and Chief Executive Officer, BioCanRx
Moderator: Kimberley Hanson, Chief External Relations Officer, Breakthrough T1D Canada
10:45 am NETWORKING BREAK
11:05 am From Health Innovation to Strategic Advantage: Preparedness, Biosecurity and Trade
As health technologies become central to national resilience, economic security and global competitiveness, Canada faces an opportunity to connect its life sciences strengths more deliberately to broader industrial, preparedness and trade policy. This panel will explore how domestic innovation capacity, regenerative medicine, biomanufacturing, health emergency readiness and regional life sciences ecosystems can be positioned as strategic assets, and what policy choices are needed to ensure Canada can compete, collaborate and respond in an increasingly fragmented global environment.
Cate Murray, President & CEO, Stem Cell Network
Rodrigo Arancibia, Senior Director, Health Emergency Readiness Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Dr. Graham Sher, President & CEO, Canadian Blood Services
Moderator: Dr. Jason Field PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Life Sciences Ontario
12:00 pm LUNCH
1:00 pm Perspectives and Data to Measure Canada’s Health and Life Sciences Competitiveness
How competitive is Canada today as a destination for launching and investing in innovative medicines, and how do we know? This panel will bring together comparative patient-access expertise, emerging research and the collective experience of innovative pharmaceutical companies to assess Canada’s position in an increasingly competitive global environment. The discussion will examine how regulatory pathways, health technology assessment, reimbursement processes and access timelines influence global launch and investment decisions; share early findings from a survey of pharmaceutical leaders; and explore what companies are seeing across their Canadian and international operations. Panelists will identify the indicators that matter most, where Canada is gaining or losing ground, and the practical policy changes needed to strengthen competitiveness while improving timely access to medicines for patients.
2:00 pm Fireside Chat: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Healthcare
2:30pm Networking Break (20 mins)
2:50pm Bear Pit with Canada’s Drug Agency and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance
In this interactive “bear pit” session, a candid discussion with the leaders of Canada’s Drug Agency and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance on the latest developments in health technology assessment, pharmaceutical review, price negotiation and reimbursement policy. The conversation will explore how both organizations are responding to pressures around access, affordability, evidence requirements and negotiation timelines, with audience members invited to pose direct questions on the future of Canada’s drug access pathway.
Suzanne McGurn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canada’s Drug Agency
Mauro Chies, Chief Executive Officer, pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance
Moderator: Gerry Jeffcott, Senior Associate, 3Sixty Public Affairs
3:50 pm How or Does Canada Work to Deliver Healthcare? An “At Issue” Panel of Cross-Country Experts
Health policy in Canada is shaped and implemented through a complex interplay among elected leaders, the federal, provincial and territorial public services, health system institutions, industry, patients, clinicians and other external stakeholders. This closing roundtable will examine how priorities move from political commitments to policy design and practical implementation, where influence and accountability sit, and how relationships across and beyond government can accelerate or impede change. Drawing together the challenges and opportunities explored throughout the day, panelists will consider how stakeholders can better understand and navigate these dynamics, build alignment across jurisdictions and institutions, and leverage trusted relationships to advance practical solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians.
Dr. Ken Chan PhD, Partner, Optimus SBR and former ADM, Ontario Health
Gail Attara, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Gastrointestinal Society
Sandega Yeba, McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and past Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy for the Federal Minister of Health
Moderator: Tessie Sanci, Deputy Editor and health policy journalist, The Hill Times
4:50 pm Closing Remarks
A limited number of special discounts are available to patient groups and students. Please contact the CAHR office for more information and to obtain a code.
Code of Conduct: CAHR is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and harassment-free environment. All attendees, speakers, sponsors, and staff are expected to follow our Code of Conduct.
Program Changes: CAHR reserves the right to modify speakers, sessions, or the event schedule without prior notice. We are not liable for any resulting changes.
As a CAHR member, simply log in to your member profile using the email address and password associated with your membership. Click the Register button, and your member rate will automatically be applied once you are logged in.
CANCELLATION POLICY: For cancellations two (2) weeks or more in advance, delegates will receive a 75% refund. For cancellations made less than two (2) weeks in advance, no refunds are given. Delegate substitutions will be accepted at no cost.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver 900 West Georgie St | Vancouver, BC
FEBRUARY 1-2, 2027
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from leading experts and be part of an engaging and informative discussions.
Monday, February 1, 2027
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PT — Evening Reception & Feature Presentation & retiree Recognition
Hors d'oeuvres & Cash Bar
Tuesday, February 2, 2027
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM MT — Full Day Program: Sessions will include topics such as:
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