To say there’s movement within the agentic life sciences market would be an understatement. According to seven different market research organizations, the “Agentic AI in clinical trials market” is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of anywhere between 12.5% and 43%. 

While many sponsors and CROs surveyed want agentic AI operating at some level within their clinical trials, almost none of them think they're ready for it. "Our systems don't talk to each other." "Our data is a mess." "We need a two-year foundation project before we can even think about agents." These aren't fringe concerns, they're the default assumptions in nearly every boardroom conversation about AI adoption.

Here's the problem. Those assumptions are very wrong, and they're costing sponsors real time. While teams wait for the "right" conditions to start, the gap between early movers and everyone else keeps widening. The truth is, readiness isn't a prerequisite for agentic AI, it's a byproduct of starting.

Below, we take on the myths that keep organizations stuck in planning mode, and the facts that show why the window to start is now, not after your data is perfectly clean and your stack is fully unified.

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With 44,000+ oncology professionals in attendance, ASCO 2026 may have been the most consequential in recent years. From a standing ovation for pancreatic cancer to the first positive sarcoma trial in history, here's everything that mattered at Chicago's McCormick Place this week.

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