A new study by PLG Market Access experts, published in Global & Regional Health Technology Assessment, surveys European pharma leaders on how AI is being adopted in Market Access, what is holding it back, and where it is heading next.
Artificial intelligence is now present across the pharmaceutical value chain, from drug discovery to pharmacovigilance. Yet evidence on its role in Market Access, one of the most strategic and heavily regulated functions in the industry, has remained scarce. As recently as 2024, analyses of AI use cases in pharma placed pricing and market analysis among the least affected areas.
To understand what has changed, PLG experts Stefania Brancone and Claudia Passante with Mariangela Prada surveyed Market Access executives and senior leaders from pharmaceutical companies across Europe between June and November 2025. Their article, "Exploring the current and future role of artificial intelligence in pharmaceutical market access: insights from a European survey", is one of the first European assessments dedicated specifically to this question.
Market Access moves to the front of the queue
Of the 50 respondents, 44% reported that AI is structurally implemented in their organisation. Within those companies, Market Access is the function most impacted by AI (59%), ahead of Digital (55%), Marketing and Medical (both 45%). This is a clear shift from the picture only a year earlier.
Adoption, however, is far from even. 85% of respondents from large companies reported structural AI implementation, compared with around 30% of those from medium-sized and small companies. Budget, internal data and data science capabilities remain decisive advantages.
Employees are not waiting
One of the most striking findings concerns individual use. Respondents from companies without formal AI implementation were more likely to use online AI tools regularly (43%) than those working where AI is already integrated (32%). This "bring your own AI" trend speeds up familiarity with the technology. In Market Access, however, it carries real risk: pricing, contracting and real-world data are highly sensitive, and the EU AI Act requires governance, traceability and AI literacy that unsanctioned tools cannot guarantee.
Value is felt, but rarely measured
Among companies using AI, 86% report gains in operational efficiency. Only 9% can point to a clearly measurable return on investment, while 55% believe they are achieving one but struggle to quantify it. The main obstacles are structural rather than attitudinal:
In Market Access specifically, companies cite a lack of data to train algorithms and challenges integrating AI with existing systems (45% each). More than a third report difficulties in justifying AI-driven models during regulatory or payer reviews.
Where AI will grow next
Looking ahead, respondents expect AI to expand most in:
The arrival of Joint Clinical Assessments under the EU HTA Regulation, with their demanding evidence requirements and tight timelines, is likely to strengthen this trend.
Augmenting, not replacing, expertise
The study's central message is one of balance. HTA bodies such as G-BA, HAS and NICE require analyses that are transparent and fully reproducible. The future of AI in Market Access will therefore depend less on what algorithms can compute than on validation and documentation frameworks that can withstand institutional scrutiny, with documented human review at every step. Respondents apply the same standard to external partners: 56% see AI use by consulting firms as added value, provided it comes with transparency, data privacy and process control.
At PLG, this is the principle guiding how our Market Access teams bring AI into evidence generation, forecasting and pricing strategy: combining new analytical capabilities with regulatory insight and the experience needed to navigate payer expectations, so that innovative therapies reach the patients who need them.
Authors:
Stefania Brancone, Claudia Passante – PLG, ProductLife Group
Mariangela Prada