Will We See Another Watershed Year for Life Sciences in 2026?

Vera Pomerantseva, Director of Product Management, RBQM, eClinical Solutions

AI Adoption Will Follow the Path of Risk Management We Saw 10 Years Ago

Those tracking the slow pace of AI adoption in pharma should remember that any innovation in this space takes considerable time. The rollout of RBQM after 2013 illustrates this, as the conservative nature of the industry required both validation of new technology and a mindset shift. Teams had to evolve from a checklist mentality to understanding of what is critical, and makes sense, to adopt this new approach. AI presents a similar adoption challenge, requiring industry professionals to trust and apply its insights thoughtfully while challenging traditional approaches.

AI has the power to reduce manual effort, freeing data teams to focus on critical decisions and solving new challenges, such as integrating patient insight, use of RWE, flexible study design. In 2026, I expect the industry to leverage AI to deliver function centric agentic AI to enhance operational efficiency.

Katrina Rice, Chief Delivery Officer, Biometrics, eClinical Solutions

AI: The Game-Changer for Clinical Trials in 2026

Last year, the only prediction everyone got right was the promise AI held for the life science industry. In 2025, we saw AI go from buzzword to reality, with companies embracing it, responsibly and cautiously, into their existing workflows and products. Next year, AI will touch every aspect and speed up the entire clinical trial lifecycle. From the beginning stages of site selection and patient recruitment, AI will narrow down both based on criteria, location, and target population, speeding up an inherently slow and time-consuming process. In the middle stages, AI will lighten operational burdens by sorting through the influx of data points and identifying any anomalies by pairing technology with risk-based quality management. Finally, at the end stages, it will streamline regulatory submissions to bring drugs to patients faster. Ultimately, AI will transform the entire trial lifecycle, improving both the speed and quality at every single stage.

Vera Pomerantseva

Director of Product Management, RBQM, eClinical Solutions

Vera Pomerantseva is a clinical research and risk management leader with extensive experience in risk-based quality management (RBQM), clinical data analytics, and quality strategy. As Director of Product Management for RBQM at eClinical Solutions, she leads the vision and development of data-driven solutions that help life sciences organizations proactively identify risk, improve trial quality, and drive operational excellence. Vera brings deep industry experience from leadership roles at ZS, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Novartis, and is widely recognized for her thought leadership in applying risk-based methodologies and quality-by-design principles to clinical development.

Katrina Rice

Chief Delivery Officer, Biometrics Services, eClinical Solutions

Katrina Rice is an accomplished Chief Delivery Officer with an impressive career that spans over 25 years and includes advancement into increasingly demanding leadership roles. With a solid history of leading business transformations and managing global portfolios, she is as much at home scaling operations as she is in developing strategies that drive revenue growth. At eClinical Solutions, Katrina was recently promoted from Executive Vice President of Professional Services to Chief Delivery Officer. She has previously held various technical roles at Lockheed Martin Energy Group and Bayer. Katrina holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science with Advanced Applications from the University of New Haven. In her free time, Katrina is an active participant of Chief, a private network for women in senior leadership roles, Treasurer in her church where she oversees all financial aspects and a Member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community.