This time, the theme was AI and its impact on the pharmaceutical sector.
The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Bertalan Meskó, Ph.D., The Medical Futurist and Director of The Medical Futurist Institute. His presentation was entitled “What Kind of Future are we Heading Toward? The Technological Trajectory of AI and its Potential to Reshape Healthcare and Pharma.”
That was followed by a roundtable discussion, moderated by the Budapest Business Journal’s editor-in-chief Robin Marshall, for which Meskó was joined by Ernő Duda, a serial tech entrepreneur and angel investor with wide-ranging interests across life sciences/biotech, AI, blockchain, and space technology, and Dr. Miklós Garami, professor of pediatrics and chief of the Pediatric Neuro-oncology Unit at the Center of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University.
The roundtable began by establishing what the speakers believed was the most likely scenario: AI helping us cure cancer, creating catastrophic risks, both, or neither. Other topics included whether AI adoption in pharma is being held back more by the technology itself, organizational culture, regulation, legacy systems, or leadership. Which parts of the pharma value chain are likely to be transformed first by AI: R&D, clinical trials, manufacturing, commercial operations, or patient care? And where will the biggest impact ultimately be? Could AI fundamentally change the roles of scientists, physicians, and pharma leaders? What will humans still be uniquely good at, and what might we increasingly hand over to machines?
The lively interaction between the panelists prompted several questions from the floor from pharma leaders keen to know more about how practical AI development might progress in pharma firms, the need to engage the government to drive through greater data sharing, and for legal certainty around responsibility,
About the CEO Pharma Breakfast
For years, the Budapest Business Journal has run events tailored to the CEO community it has helped to build. The CEO Pharma Breakfast brings together key stakeholders in the Hungarian pharmaceutical industry to discuss pressing challenges and explore opportunities for growth and innovation. The goal is to facilitate a comprehensive discussion of the sector’s latest issues.
At the same time, the breakfast promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing and identifies actionable strategies to address regulatory, market, and operational challenges. Above all, the aim is to foster stronger relationships within the Hungarian healthcare ecosystem. The keynote and roundtable are bookended by excellent networking opportunities with like-minded professionals who share and understand the challenges (and opportunities) that characterize the sector.
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