6th Drug Safety Symposium 2026 to Focus on “Beyond Algorithms & Assumptions, What Actually Matters in Pharmacovigilance”

Mumbai, India | June 24^th-25^th, 2026

The 6th Drug Safety Symposium 2026 – India Chapter, scheduled for June 24^th & 25^th, 2026 in Mumbai, will bring together leading voices from across the pharmacovigilance ecosystem to address one of the industry’s most pressing questions, are current advancements truly translating into better patient safety outcomes?

With the theme “Beyond Algorithms & Assumptions, What Actually Matters in PV?”, this year’s symposium aims to move beyond discussions on artificial intelligence and automation, and instead focus on the clarity, decision-making, and real-world impact of pharmacovigilance systems.

The theme has been shaped through extensive discussions with over 30 pharmacovigilance professionals across pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations (CROs), and technology providers. A key insight emerging from these interactions is that while AI adoption is accelerating, organisations continue to face challenges in aligning processes, defining accountability, and translating data into meaningful safety decisions.

The symposium will address a range of critical and emerging challenges in pharmacovigilance, including evolving regulatory expectations, the growing complexity of social media-driven literature monitoring, gaps in the implementation of additional risk minimization measures (aRMMs) in India, and the increasing need to make real-world data more reliable and actionable. It will also explore challenges related to signal prioritization, clarity in pharmacovigilance agreements between pharma and CROs, and the balance between automation and human oversight.

The agenda is designed to be highly practical and discussion-driven, featuring workshops, panel discussions, and leadership roundtables that aim to provide actionable insights rather than theoretical perspectives.

The symposium is guided by a distinguished Scientific Committee comprising industry leaders:

• Dr. Rahul Somani, Global Head – Pharmacovigilance, Alkem Laboratories
• Prasad Deshmukh, Vice President & Head – Pharmacovigilance, Cipla
• Dr. Rajendra Kasi, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
• Dr. Siva Kumar Budha, Global Director – Global Patient Safety, Amgen
• Vikram K, Director PvOps, Bristol Myers Squibb

Their collective expertise ensures that the symposium remains aligned with both global best practices and region-specific challenges.

As pharmacovigilance continues to evolve in an increasingly complex and data-driven environment, the 6th Drug Safety Symposium 2026 – India Chapter seeks to serve as a platform for meaningful dialogue, cross-industry collaboration, and strategic realignment.

The event is expected to attract over 100 senior professionals from pharmaceutical companies, CROs, regulatory bodies, and technology organizations.

About the Symposium
The Drug Safety Symposium is a platform dedicated to advancing dialogue and knowledge-sharing in pharmacovigilance in India, Middle East and is growing beyond. Now in its sixth edition, the India Chapter continues to focus on addressing current challenges, emerging trends, and future directions in drug safety.