Chris Toller

Inside Pharma

How This Multidisciplinary Global Industry Brings Medicines from Pipeline to Marketplace

With Chris Toller

Course Details

THE CONTENT

With opportunities for scientific innovation and global business management, pharma offers challenging career opportunities for the brightest minds in science, medicine, business, economics, IT, and law, to name but a few.

At the same time, organisations from big pharma to niche start-ups are on a mission to attract and develop talent with the perfect academic background, personal competencies, and professional experience. 

New recruits to pharma rarely understand how a medicine makes its way from discovery through to the clinic. And, truth be told, even a few years in in the industry may not provide a clear end-to-end understanding of how different departments work together to navigate this complex journey. This can become an obstacle to truly seamless cross-functional collaboration.

How does a company decide where to invest in its future? How does each new medicine get developed and approved? How is it brought to market across the globe? What are the roles of Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Commercial, Marketing, Sales, and Market Access? How do these groups work together? 

This course is designed to address exactly these questions. Over one day, you will take a guided tour through pharma, bringing key issues to life through the stories of eight important molecules.

By the end of the course, participants will not only gain a comprehensive overview of pharma, but will also have a clearer perspective on their own specialist role, as well as valuable insight into cross-functional operations.

This course will also benefit agency teams providing pharma with a variety of specialist services, from medical affairs and market insight to marketing, advertising, and access. It will enable them to speak their clients' language and better understand how their services fit into this complex business framework. This leads not only to improved project delivery, but also to a valuable edge in business development.


THE EXPERT

Chris Toller is a globally recognised pharmaceutical consultant and is Medical Director at Havas Life London.

  • A trained physician, Chris has spent his career supporting cross-functional teams across nearly every therapeutic area and global region. He has developed strategies and programmes for more than 75 medical brands, working with many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. While most of his career has focused on taking molecules from medical to market, his experience also includes management roles in Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Market Access, and pharmacoeconomics.

  • Chris brings deep insight into the shared attributes of high-performing pharma professionals. He is known for his creative strategic thinking, engaging communication style, and ability to inspire professionals at all levels.  

    “I am not interested in simply passing on information. To me, it’s far more important to communicate the ‘so what’ that sits behind the headlines. Only then can we gain the insight and understanding on which true competencies are built.”

  • Chris joined CELforPharma’s faculty in 2016, and participants consistently highlight his ability to make complex concepts both accessible and actionable.


THE AUDIENCE & INTERACTIVE LEARNING FORMAT

This is not a functional deep dive for one department. It is a big-picture, end-to-end course designed for anyone working in or alongside the pharmaceutical industry who wants to truly understand how it all fits together.

Through expert-led teaching, real-world molecule stories, and interactive discussion, you will build a clear and connected understanding of how medicines move from discovery to patients.

The course combines a structured “journey through pharma” with practical examples, cross-functional perspectives, and guided discussions. Rather than focusing on theory alone, it brings the industry to life through real cases, helping you connect concepts directly to your day-to-day role.

You will leave not only with a solid overview of the pharmaceutical landscape, but also with a sharper understanding of how your function contributes to the bigger picture and how to collaborate more effectively across teams.

  1. How the pharma industry really works end to end, from early discovery through to patients.

  2. How companies choose where to invest, balancing science, unmet need, and commercial potential.

  3. How a medicine moves through development, clinical trials, and regulatory approval.

  4. How successful products are positioned, launched, and scaled across global and local markets.

  5. How Medical Affairs, market access, and pricing decisions drive real-world uptake and value.

  6. How to navigate cross-functional collaboration and understand where you fit in the bigger picture.
     

Course agenda

 

 

Welcome and Introductions (~15 min)
The Pharmaceutical Business: An Overview (~1 h) 
  • Top-line facts and figures about the global pharma industry
  • The evolving shape of the pharma business model
  • Understand the different functions required to take a pharma product from laboratory to market
  • See how these functions fit together to build a global pharma company and explore the skills and competencies they demand
Pharma Discovery Programmes and Innovation (~45 min)
  • Explore the business drivers behind identifying an R&D investment target
  • Understand unmet medical need, commercial opportunity, and the influence of proprietary technologies
  • Explore how targets, leads, and candidates are identified, screened, selected, and optimised.
  • In silico development: see how IT and AI continue to shape R&D 
External Innovation, Licensing, and Partnerships (~30 min)
  • Understand where innovation comes from beyond large pharma organisations
  • Explore the role of academia, biotech, and start-ups in drug development
  • Learn how licensing, partnerships, and acquisitions are structured
  • Appreciate the importance of funding, investment, and risk sharing 
Preclinical Development (~45 min)
  • Understand how candidates are assessed before entering clinical development
  • Explore proof of effect, toxicology, and safety testing approaches
  • Review key activities in chemistry, formulation, stability, and naming
  • Understand how intellectual property and regulatory foundations are established 
Lunch Break
Regulatory Approval and Clinical Development (~1 h)
  • Understand the role of regulators (FDA, EMA, MHRA, etc.) and the processes and timescales involved in regulatory submissions
  • Understand the process of clinical development from Phase I to Phase IV studies (GCP)
  • Explore clinical study design, including populations, entry criteria, recruitment, data collection, and endpoints
  • Understand a target product profile and how clinical evidence will shape the product label
  • Review special development pathways, including rare diseases, orphan drugs, and early access 
Commercialisation (~1 h)
  • Review the product lifecycle from pre-launch to generics
  • Understand the basis of brand strategy with reference to disease burden, unmet need, competitive intelligence, market shaping, and positioning 
  • Learn how global strategies are adapted for local markets
  • Understand the roles of marketing and sales in bringing medicines to patients
  • Review the importance of manufacturing, supply chain management, and distribution in effective product commercialisation 
Medical Affairs: The Bridge From Development to Commercial (~45 min)
  • Understand the role of Medical Affairs from clinical development through to access and commercialisation – the six domains of Medical Affairs excellence
  • Understand how Medical Affairs shapes the practice of medicine through engagement with multiple stakeholders
  • Explore how scientific data are translated into meaningful narratives that form the basis of communication and education
  • Learn how medical insights are built into commercial strategy and value propositions 
Market Access, Pricing and Reimbursement (~30 min)
  • Understand the basis of pricing and reimbursement 
  • Explore the role of payers and regulators, and the importance of value dossiers and Health Technology Appraisals
  • An introduction to pharmacoeconomic concepts such as cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, ICERs, and budget impact modelling 
Bringing It All Together (~30 min)
  • See how global and local teams work together across the organisation
  • Understand the importance of cross-functional collaboration in pharma
  • Revisit the medicine lifecycle with a focus on rare diseases and precision medicine 
Close

 

UPCOMING DATES & FORMATS - FEES

12 November 2026

Live online

Early bird € 1 570

(until 09/10/2026)

(Full fee € 1 770)

 


TIMING & LOCATION

Live Online: Zoom sessions between 9 AM and 5 PM CET (Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris time).

All practical details will be shared upon registration. For any questions, please contact Margherita Mutto or call +32 472 03 11 38 .

 

GROUP DISCOUNTS

Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.

Email Annelies Swaan for more details. 

 

HOW TO REGISTER

  • Click the green “Register” button on your preferred course session.
    The registration wizard will guide you through the process.

  • Alternatively, download the offline registration form and send the completed form to Annelies Swaan.

 

PAYMENT OPTIONS

  • Credit Card: You’ll receive a secure payment link with your invoice (no immediate payment required).

  • Bank Transfer: Details provided with your invoice.

For help with registration, email Annelies Swaan or contact her by phone at +32 486 98 52 49.

 

INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE

  • Access to a highly interactive, small-group online course (max 20 participants)

  • Course materials in both digital and hard copy format

  • Certificate of attendance signed by the experts and CELforPharma

 

VAT INFORMATION

Prices exclude VAT. VAT application depends on course format and your location:

  • Face-to-Face in Belgium: 21% Belgian VAT applies

  • Live online courses: The applicable VAT depends on your invoicing address. Contact your local VAT office for refund procedures where applicable.

 

TRANSFER & CANCELLATION POLICY

Flexible Transfer

If a registrant is unable to attend the scheduled course, they can avoid any cancellation charges by providing a suitable replacement participant.

Alternatively, the registrant may transfer once, on a 'space-available' basis and at no extra cost, to another course of the same value held within one year of the original course date, provided this is done at least three weeks prior to the event.

Registration Cancellation

  • Less than 14 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay the full invoiced registration fee.

  • Between 15 and 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay 50% of the invoiced registration fee.

  • More than 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay a cancellation fee of € 450 per registrant.

If a registrant postpones their participation to a future course and subsequently cancels again, no refund will be issued for the registration fees.
 

Do you want to upskill your team?

We can organise this training in-company (face-to-face or live online) and customise it to your specific focus and needs.

Fill in the below form and Inge Cornelis will contact you with further information.
 

Course Details

Dates & Locations

12 November 2026

Live online

Register

Upcoming Session

12 November 2026, Live online

Early bird € 1 570

(until 09/10/2026)

 (Full fee € 1 770)

Prices are excl. VAT

THE CONTENT

With opportunities for scientific innovation and global business management, pharma offers challenging career opportunities for the brightest minds in science, medicine, business, economics, IT, and law, to name but a few.

At the same time, organisations from big pharma to niche start-ups are on a mission to attract and develop talent with the perfect academic background, personal competencies, and professional experience. 

New recruits to pharma rarely understand how a medicine makes its way from discovery through to the clinic. And, truth be told, even a few years in in the industry may not provide a clear end-to-end understanding of how different departments work together to navigate this complex journey. This can become an obstacle to truly seamless cross-functional collaboration.

How does a company decide where to invest in its future? How does each new medicine get developed and approved? How is it brought to market across the globe? What are the roles of Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Commercial, Marketing, Sales, and Market Access? How do these groups work together? 

This course is designed to address exactly these questions. Over one day, you will take a guided tour through pharma, bringing key issues to life through the stories of eight important molecules.

By the end of the course, participants will not only gain a comprehensive overview of pharma, but will also have a clearer perspective on their own specialist role, as well as valuable insight into cross-functional operations.

This course will also benefit agency teams providing pharma with a variety of specialist services, from medical affairs and market insight to marketing, advertising, and access. It will enable them to speak their clients' language and better understand how their services fit into this complex business framework. This leads not only to improved project delivery, but also to a valuable edge in business development.


THE EXPERT

Chris Toller is a globally recognised pharmaceutical consultant and is Medical Director at Havas Life London.

  • A trained physician, Chris has spent his career supporting cross-functional teams across nearly every therapeutic area and global region. He has developed strategies and programmes for more than 75 medical brands, working with many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. While most of his career has focused on taking molecules from medical to market, his experience also includes management roles in Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Market Access, and pharmacoeconomics.

  • Chris brings deep insight into the shared attributes of high-performing pharma professionals. He is known for his creative strategic thinking, engaging communication style, and ability to inspire professionals at all levels.  

    “I am not interested in simply passing on information. To me, it’s far more important to communicate the ‘so what’ that sits behind the headlines. Only then can we gain the insight and understanding on which true competencies are built.”

  • Chris joined CELforPharma’s faculty in 2016, and participants consistently highlight his ability to make complex concepts both accessible and actionable.


THE AUDIENCE & INTERACTIVE LEARNING FORMAT

This is not a functional deep dive for one department. It is a big-picture, end-to-end course designed for anyone working in or alongside the pharmaceutical industry who wants to truly understand how it all fits together.

Through expert-led teaching, real-world molecule stories, and interactive discussion, you will build a clear and connected understanding of how medicines move from discovery to patients.

The course combines a structured “journey through pharma” with practical examples, cross-functional perspectives, and guided discussions. Rather than focusing on theory alone, it brings the industry to life through real cases, helping you connect concepts directly to your day-to-day role.

You will leave not only with a solid overview of the pharmaceutical landscape, but also with a sharper understanding of how your function contributes to the bigger picture and how to collaborate more effectively across teams.

  1. How the pharma industry really works end to end, from early discovery through to patients.

  2. How companies choose where to invest, balancing science, unmet need, and commercial potential.

  3. How a medicine moves through development, clinical trials, and regulatory approval.

  4. How successful products are positioned, launched, and scaled across global and local markets.

  5. How Medical Affairs, market access, and pricing decisions drive real-world uptake and value.

  6. How to navigate cross-functional collaboration and understand where you fit in the bigger picture.
     

Course agenda

 

 

Welcome and Introductions (~15 min)
The Pharmaceutical Business: An Overview (~1 h) 
  • Top-line facts and figures about the global pharma industry
  • The evolving shape of the pharma business model
  • Understand the different functions required to take a pharma product from laboratory to market
  • See how these functions fit together to build a global pharma company and explore the skills and competencies they demand
Pharma Discovery Programmes and Innovation (~45 min)
  • Explore the business drivers behind identifying an R&D investment target
  • Understand unmet medical need, commercial opportunity, and the influence of proprietary technologies
  • Explore how targets, leads, and candidates are identified, screened, selected, and optimised.
  • In silico development: see how IT and AI continue to shape R&D 
External Innovation, Licensing, and Partnerships (~30 min)
  • Understand where innovation comes from beyond large pharma organisations
  • Explore the role of academia, biotech, and start-ups in drug development
  • Learn how licensing, partnerships, and acquisitions are structured
  • Appreciate the importance of funding, investment, and risk sharing 
Preclinical Development (~45 min)
  • Understand how candidates are assessed before entering clinical development
  • Explore proof of effect, toxicology, and safety testing approaches
  • Review key activities in chemistry, formulation, stability, and naming
  • Understand how intellectual property and regulatory foundations are established 
Lunch Break
Regulatory Approval and Clinical Development (~1 h)
  • Understand the role of regulators (FDA, EMA, MHRA, etc.) and the processes and timescales involved in regulatory submissions
  • Understand the process of clinical development from Phase I to Phase IV studies (GCP)
  • Explore clinical study design, including populations, entry criteria, recruitment, data collection, and endpoints
  • Understand a target product profile and how clinical evidence will shape the product label
  • Review special development pathways, including rare diseases, orphan drugs, and early access 
Commercialisation (~1 h)
  • Review the product lifecycle from pre-launch to generics
  • Understand the basis of brand strategy with reference to disease burden, unmet need, competitive intelligence, market shaping, and positioning 
  • Learn how global strategies are adapted for local markets
  • Understand the roles of marketing and sales in bringing medicines to patients
  • Review the importance of manufacturing, supply chain management, and distribution in effective product commercialisation 
Medical Affairs: The Bridge From Development to Commercial (~45 min)
  • Understand the role of Medical Affairs from clinical development through to access and commercialisation – the six domains of Medical Affairs excellence
  • Understand how Medical Affairs shapes the practice of medicine through engagement with multiple stakeholders
  • Explore how scientific data are translated into meaningful narratives that form the basis of communication and education
  • Learn how medical insights are built into commercial strategy and value propositions 
Market Access, Pricing and Reimbursement (~30 min)
  • Understand the basis of pricing and reimbursement 
  • Explore the role of payers and regulators, and the importance of value dossiers and Health Technology Appraisals
  • An introduction to pharmacoeconomic concepts such as cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, ICERs, and budget impact modelling 
Bringing It All Together (~30 min)
  • See how global and local teams work together across the organisation
  • Understand the importance of cross-functional collaboration in pharma
  • Revisit the medicine lifecycle with a focus on rare diseases and precision medicine 
Close

 

UPCOMING DATES & FORMATS - FEES

12 November 2026

Live online

Early bird € 1 570

(until 09/10/2026)

(Full fee € 1 770)

 


TIMING & LOCATION

Live Online: Zoom sessions between 9 AM and 5 PM CET (Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris time).

All practical details will be shared upon registration. For any questions, please contact Margherita Mutto or call +32 472 03 11 38 .

 

GROUP DISCOUNTS

Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.

Email Annelies Swaan for more details. 

 

HOW TO REGISTER

  • Click the green “Register” button on your preferred course session.
    The registration wizard will guide you through the process.

  • Alternatively, download the offline registration form and send the completed form to Annelies Swaan.

 

PAYMENT OPTIONS

  • Credit Card: You’ll receive a secure payment link with your invoice (no immediate payment required).

  • Bank Transfer: Details provided with your invoice.

For help with registration, email Annelies Swaan or contact her by phone at +32 486 98 52 49.

 

INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE

  • Access to a highly interactive, small-group online course (max 20 participants)

  • Course materials in both digital and hard copy format

  • Certificate of attendance signed by the experts and CELforPharma

 

VAT INFORMATION

Prices exclude VAT. VAT application depends on course format and your location:

  • Face-to-Face in Belgium: 21% Belgian VAT applies

  • Live online courses: The applicable VAT depends on your invoicing address. Contact your local VAT office for refund procedures where applicable.

 

TRANSFER & CANCELLATION POLICY

Flexible Transfer

If a registrant is unable to attend the scheduled course, they can avoid any cancellation charges by providing a suitable replacement participant.

Alternatively, the registrant may transfer once, on a 'space-available' basis and at no extra cost, to another course of the same value held within one year of the original course date, provided this is done at least three weeks prior to the event.

Registration Cancellation

  • Less than 14 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay the full invoiced registration fee.

  • Between 15 and 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay 50% of the invoiced registration fee.

  • More than 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay a cancellation fee of € 450 per registrant.

If a registrant postpones their participation to a future course and subsequently cancels again, no refund will be issued for the registration fees.
 

Do you want to upskill your team?

We can organise this training in-company (face-to-face or live online) and customise it to your specific focus and needs.

Fill in the below form and Inge Cornelis will contact you with further information.
 

Dates & Locations

12 November 2026

Live online

Register