How Top Biopharmas Transform Commercial Execution with Agentic AI

Jan 09, 2026 | Philipp Luik

Agentic AI is driving significant innovation across the life sciences industry. In drug discovery, AI processes vast amounts of data to generatively design future compounds. In diagnosis, AI analyzes hundreds of images in minutes, flagging anomalies that would take years for a human to spot. And at the point of treatment, physicians use AI-powered medical information platforms to inform clinical decision making tailored to individual patients.

The ultimate opportunity in commercial biopharmas is to scale AI across operations to deliver better experiences to healthcare professionals (HCPs) and accelerate treatment adoption. AI has the potential to transform how commercial and medical teams work and collaborate, driving productivity and precision for enhanced HCP engagement and greater patient outcomes.

The AI commercial transformation is not a distant promise — it’s underway and delivering impact. At Veeva Commercial Summit, Europe, top biopharma leaders explained how they are architecting an AI-ready enterprise with a unified platform and globally harmonized data. Our first Veeva AI customer shared its experience with agentic AI directly embedded in content review processes accelerating speed and compliance. Here are key strategic steps from customers unlocking AI innovation and true competitive advantage.

Designing AI-driven user journeys

Anticipating AI-driven efficiencies, the industry is planning to achieve more with the same resources. But realizing AI’s impact at scale requires a shift from generic, standalone AI tools to life sciences-specific applications with AI built at the core. True transformation is only possible when AI is embedded in user’s daily processes and can understand the context, maintain regulatory compliance, and securely access the organization’s unique data and content.

Many biopharmas are already setting the right technology foundation to integrate practical AI for increased productivity and precision across sales, marketing, and medical operations. Over 100 customers are now live on Veeva Vault CRM, unlocking the innovation of embedded agentic AI in CRM and an industry-specific marketing solution.

At Summit, commercial leaders shared their transformation journeys to empower cross-functional commercial teams for next-generation engagement. Bayer AG explained how the urgent need to raise efficiencies and redirect field teams’ work to higher-value tasks drove their decision. For GSK, it was a strategic next step toward the ambition of becoming a data-driven organization and gaining early-mover advantages. Boehringer Ingelheim detailed how Vault CRM is a critical enabler of their business and how embedding AI can connect teams and streamline processes for launch excellence. Otsuka Europe offered practical advice for a smooth transition and building confidence among stakeholders with a clear path of innovation.

“We moved fast. It was ambitious and an outstanding example for great teamwork. Now we can continue with full focus to enable an AI powered next generation customer engagement model to serve our customers and patients.” Alexander Alex Head of Veeva Platform, Bayer AG

Building the underlying data foundation for AI

Beyond deep applications, AI readiness requires high-quality data for accurate and timely insights. However, our research found that 96% of leaders believe their data is not well-structured or AI-ready.

To overcome data fragmentation, Bayer AG shared how they are leveraging common data architecture and connecting different data layers — reference data, KOL profiles, HCP access data, and CRM — to simplify master data management. This structure creates a single source of truth that is essential for building a true customer 360, giving teams a holistic view and enabling AI to surface intelligence faster. Similarly, Summit sessions with Astellas, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Orion Pharma focused on championing a globally harmonized data foundation to more quickly deploy analytics and AI.

To elevate data accuracy and reliability, we worked with GSK and Bayer AG to introduce Agentic Data Curation. With this new capability, AI agents tap into millions of internet sources and are up to 10 times more likely to find daily changes, helping to validate data change requests 50% of the time where manual research fails.

Driving productivity with deep application agents

Veeva’s vision is to build agentic AI for life sciences from R&D to Commercial by embedding it into our unified software platform. And it is real today. The first Veeva AI agents for CRM and commercial content are now available. These are standard agents purpose-built for the industry and enhanced by Veeva with every release.

Veeva AI in Vault CRM

A live demo at Summit showcased how industry-specific Veeva AI agents running in Vault CRM guide users toward the most impactful actions in real time. One example highlighted a rep preparing for an HCP visit. Pre-call Agent generates an engagement plan with recommendations based on previous call notes and other signals like conference attendance and website visits. The system pre-fills the meeting agenda, proposes key talking points, and selects content. Media Agent instantly summarizes suggested assets, allowing the rep to review the key messages and feel fully prepared for the meeting. After visiting the HCP, the rep uses Voice Agent to efficiently record the interaction just by speaking. The agent instantly transcribes the discussion directly into the call report, including follow-up actions. Simultaneously, Free Text Agent auto-checks dictated notes to detect any compliance issues, such as the mention of a patient’s name. The rep reviews what was flagged and cleans up the meeting notes, effectively mitigating risks while capturing timely, rich customer insights.

“I’m excited to see how we can go from a call input system to a system that really enables reps to do their jobs more effectively. I’m particularly interested in the Free Text Agent. We plan to work closely with Veeva to address early compliance resistance and ensure we confidently capture rich insights to make the system more useful for our field teams.” Debbie Young Multichannel Strategy & Customer Insights Director, Otsuka Europe

Veeva AI in PromoMats

The power of agentic AI is also available to content teams with Veeva AI in PromoMats. A content creator can use Quick Check Agent to perform a comprehensive pre-submission check, flagging issues like spelling, grammar, and critical compliance concerns such as overstated efficacy claims. By jumping directly to the errors and making edits, the creator quickly refines the material before medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) review. Next, the regulatory reviewer uses Content Agent to instantly generate a reviewer summary of the document, facilitating their review and saving countless hours by providing context, intent, and confirmation that compliance checks had been addressed.

One of the most exciting sessions at Summit was Moderna’s, where they shared pioneering experience with Quick Check Agent. As our first Veeva AI customer, the leading biopharma explained how to get started with agentic AI to address the critical need for operational efficiency despite rapidly increasing content volume. By integrating the agent directly in Veeva PromoMats workflows, Moderna minimized disruption and modernized the MLR process to achieve faster approvals and shorter cycle times without compromising quality and compliance.

“From a project standpoint, implementation was very easy because Veeva AI Quick Check Agent runs alongside our regular workflow without causing any disruption.” Jason Benagh, Director Global Marketing Operations, Moderna

Flexible, always advancing AI applications

Innovation continues with more Veeva AI agents coming soon across the full industry cloud for life sciences. For commercial teams, future releases include agentic AI for key use cases: coaching, KAM, and backoffice in Vault CRM; document assistant, claims, and specialized review agents in PromoMats; and quick check, scientific statement, inquiry intake, and translation agents in the Medical Suite. Furthermore, biopharmas will gain the flexibility to create custom agents specific to their needs, and individual users will be able to have their own agents to automate unique, personal processes.

Reimagining processes and new ways of working

Selecting the right technology and building a robust underlying data foundation are only the initial steps for AI to deliver real business impact. The success of the transformation will ultimately hinge on a company’s ability to prioritize use cases and reimagine business processes.

Most of AI’s value will come from empowering people to work differently. Sales, marketing, and medical roles evolve as AI frees experts for more strategic work, elevating HCP engagement from disconnected transactions to a relevant, coordinated scientific dialogue. Commercial teams remain central and accountable to execution, but they are now supported by agents, tools, and automations that boost productivity and precision.

The leading biopharmas that shared their AI journeys at Summit proved that AI is not an isolated IT project, but a company-wide shift and a strategic decision to innovate and future-proof their commercial model.

Join the Veeva AI Community in Veeva Connect to learn more about innovation roadmaps and share experiences with Veeva AI.