FREE EDUCATIONAL WEBINAR
17 September 2026, 13:00 - 14:00 PM CET (*)
Pharma has never had more tools to reach HCPs. Yet many HCPs still experience engagement as repetitive, generic, and increasingly easy to ignore.
In the age of AI, there is a real risk that we don’t fix this problem, but scale it. More content, more channels, more automation, but not necessarily more value.
So, how do you avoid amplifying noise and instead build meaningful, trust-based engagement?
In this 45-minute webinar, Karim Istafanous, Global Oncology Strategic Marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim, will outline the key challenges facing the industry today. CELforPharma faculty member Dan Buckland will then examine what effective, trust-based HCP engagement looks like in practice. Finally, faculty member Manuel Mitola will show how AI can strengthen this engagement once the fundamentals are in place, including how to design a robust pilot and scale it effectively without compromising quality.
Why attend this unique session combining real-world industry experience with CELforPharma faculty expertise, designed to turn ideas into action:
Cut through the growing noise in HCP engagement and understand what actually drives attention
Learn how to rebuild trust in an environment of increasing automation
Understand where AI adds real value and where it risks amplifying ineffective approaches
Get a practical view on how to move from idea to scalable execution
What you’ll learn:
Why many current engagement approaches fail to resonate with HCPs
The key building blocks of trust-based HCP engagement
How to design a focused pilot that delivers meaningful insight
Practical steps to scale engagement without increasing noise
AI is not engagement. It is a mega-tool. When built on strong foundations of trust, it can significantly improve how pharma connects with HCPs.
About the speakers:
Karim Istafanous is Global Oncology Strategic Marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim, with over 17 years of experience in oncology and haematology. He has led cross-functional teams through multiple oncology product launches at Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and Novartis, building deep expertise across strategic marketing, market development, and HCP engagement, including the design and management of Key External Expert programmes across complex therapeutic landscapes. Karim is a passionate advocate for rethinking how pharma engages healthcare professionals in the age of AI, bringing a frontline commercial perspective to a topic the industry is still figuring out.
Dan Buckland teaches CELforPharma's The Pharma Customer Engagement Course. He is Agency Director at Brandcast Health, leads an award-winning agency recognised for its customer-centric, inbound content marketing in the pharma industry. Dan is an influential speaker and digital opinion leader, known for bringing fresh, practical perspectives on omnichannel engagement and content strategy.
Manuel Mitola teaches CELforPharma's The AI for Pharma Marketing Course. He is Partner & Managing Director at ctcHealth, a consultancy specialising in transforming pharma marketing, sales, and commercial excellence through AI adoption. Manuel is an experienced speaker on AI at international pharma conferences, and an active voice on LinkedIn and YouTube, where he shares practical case studies.
(*) If you cannot attend the webinar, please note that a recorded playback will be sent to all registrants after the webinar.