On May 30-June 1, a group of eight HOPA staff and volunteers once again traveled to Chicago, Illinois, for the ASCO Annual Meeting - the largest oncology conference in the world, with about 50,000 attendees. Over three jam-packed days, our members and leaders represented HOPA in a series of high-impact meetings and memorable moments.
Together, we held formal discussions with eight current and prospective industry sponsors and collaborative partners. These conversations sparked real excitement and opened doors for support and partnership opportunities that align with HOPA’s strategic initiatives. Among the hot topics? Our Precision Oncology Initiative, a potential peer-to-peer support network, and pharmacist-led research.
We also connected informally with representatives from five additional companies and 15 patient advocacy organizations, raising awareness about HOPA’s mission and the critical role of the oncology pharmacist.
A particularly powerful moment came on Sunday morning when Steven Merlin, one of our Patient Advocacy Group volunteers, shared his story during a major session attended by approximately 5,000 people. A staunch HOPA supporter and stage IV pancreatic cancer survivor, Steven gave a moving talk titled "From the Patient’s Perspective: Navigating the Promise of New Immunotherapies." His story brought heart and humanity to the science, and reminded everyone why our work matters so deeply.
The weekend wrapped up with one of our favorite traditions: HOPA’s annual ASCO Happy Hour! For the third year running, we hosted around 75 attendees on Saturday evening for cocktails, appetizers, and great conversation. The turnout was fantastic, the energy was high, and we may just need a bigger venue next year!
Thank you to everyone who helped make this an inspiring and impactful weekend for HOPA!
