thought leadership
Rare Disease Day webinar: Voices that move systems
February 4, 2026
Rare disease demands a unique playbook: The patient journey is rarely linear, the evidence base is often limited, and “rare” can have different meanings across settings and geographies. On February 27, Avalere Health experts will share actionable, cross-geography insights on how patient and caregiver voices can improve diagnosis, engagement, and outcomes.
Join Avalere Health’s Market Access, Evidence & Strategy, Medical, and Marketing experts for panel discussions exploring how rare disease complexity shapes the patient and caregiver journey. Designed for professionals across the healthcare industry, this webinar provides actionable insights to help accelerate diagnosis, improve patient outcomes, and inform rare disease strategy from early engagement through commercialization.
What we’ll cover:
- Panel 1: The power of patient voices to drive system change
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- How rare disease heterogeneity is reflected in definition differences across geographies—and why it matters
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- The impact of “rare” on quality measures
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- Novel approaches and demonstration programs to drive earlier diagnosis and shorten the diagnostic odyssey
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- Opportunities for drug and diagnostic manufacturers to uplift patient advocacy
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- Dynamics to monitor in 2026
- Panel 2: The patient voice is not singular
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- How rare diseases differ from other therapeutic areas
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- Nuances of community engagement and representation
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- What variable population size means for Market Access, Commercialization, Evidence Generation, Medical, and Marketing strategies
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- Closing empathy and evidence gaps
- Audience Q&A
- Stay tuned after the panels for Q&A with our experts
Date and time: February 27 | 11 AM—12 PM ET / 4—5 PM GMT
Can’t attend live? Register to receive the recording.
Register for our Rare Disease Day webinar
Join us on February 27 at 11 AM ET / 4 PM GMT for cross-functional, cross-geography strategies to improve the patient and caregiver journey in rare disease.
Speakers:
- Moderator
- Mariia Salova, MD, MS | Senior Research Scientist, Market Access
- Panel 1
- Dr. Laura Housman | Chief Public Health Officer and Practice Director, Evidence and Strategy
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- Shelby Harrington | Managing Director, Evidence and Strategy
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- Orestis Lazos | Director, Global Market Access
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- Daria Salyakina | Associate Principal, Evidence and Strategy
- Panel 2
- Dan Zaksas | Chief Medical Officer, US Marketing
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- Sarah Thornburg | Director, Medical Strategy
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- Carol Kao | Associate Director, Global Market Access
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- Whitney Morley | Managing Director, Marketing