IQVIA (IQV) Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference summary

AI strategy and impact

• AI is viewed as a net positive, driving both revenue and margin expansion, with proprietary data and domain expertise as key differentiators.

• Over 150 AI agents have been deployed, with a roadmap to exceed 500 by 2027; 19 of the top 20 pharma companies are already using these agents.

• AI adoption is accelerating in both clinical and commercial operations, enhancing efficiency and client engagement.

• Clients increasingly prefer external AI solutions due to the complexity and cost of building in-house, with many internal pharma AI initiatives being discontinued.

• AI is expected to create new service offerings and increase trial complexity, similar to past technological shifts in the industry.

Clinical and commercial demand environment

• Demand metrics such as RFPs and qualified pipeline are healthy, with improved certainty and optimism compared to the previous year.

• Biotech funding remains robust, supporting a positive outlook for 2026.

• Book-to-bill is considered a useful but often overemphasized metric; focus is on long-term trends rather than quarterly fluctuations.

Biotech and emerging biopharma strategy

• The "See More, Win More" strategy emphasizes early engagement and tailored delivery models for biotech clients.

• Biotech is the fastest-growing segment, with companies advancing further into clinical and even commercial stages, offering higher-margin, full-service work.

• The market for emerging biopharma is deep and broad, with increasing engagement from smaller companies.