Explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming every facet of clinical trials, from initial protocol design and patient recruitment to data management and regulatory approval. This comprehensive guide provides an authoritative, in-depth look at AI's role in accelerating drug development and improving patient outcomes, with special focus on emerging agentic AI technologies.

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Discover how Agentic AI is revolutionizing clinical trials by optimizing efficiency, accelerating drug development, and improving patient access to therapies.

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“For almost a decade, it’s taken nearly eight months on average to get from site identification to study startup completion, when all sites are initiated and ready to enroll patients.”

While it’s often hard to quantify the average time spent on clinical trial activities like study startup, this 2018 quote from Tufts Research author Mary Jo Lamberti showcases the very real problem regarding the time it takes to reach key trial milestones.

In fact, in the seven years since that quote, the clinical trial landscape has only become more complex, with clinical trial cycle times increasing despite technology advances. Cycle times are defined as the total duration from the approval of a clinical trial protocol to the database lock (DBL). As reported by Statista, the average clinical trial cycle from 2020 to 2024 increased by seven months.

Additionally, IQVIA recently released research indicating that almost 50% of drug development time is attributed to non-scientific delays, aka operational bottlenecks that create unnecessary gaps between critical milestones.

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The successful integration of AI agents in enterprise operations requires a balanced, deliberate approach. Drawing from recent research in Strategic Integration (SI) and agentic AI adoption within large enterprises, the following best practices help maximize value, manage change effectively, and mitigate common pitfalls. Medable Agent Studio specifically streamlines this process by providing robust tools, no-code simplicity, and built-in compliance and security standards.

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AI agents can play a range of roles, from acting as intelligent collaborators alongside people to independently executing entire workflows. Rooted in the principles of agentic AI, they excel at reasoning through problems, self-directing activities, and adapting to evolving contexts. Whether deployed to support individuals or to autonomously carry out operational tasks, agents enhance productivity, decision-making, and overall efficiency across a broad spectrum of use cases.

Agent Studio reimagines the clinical trial lifecycle, automating slow, manual processes, removing barriers in the clinical process, and introducing new ways to achieve clinical goals like never before. This first-of-its-kind, AI-powered, no-code platform lets you deploy ready-to-go agents trained as clinical development experts or create bespoke ones using your own data and expertise, unlocking endless possibilities.

According to ClinicalTrials.gov, there are 3,046 multi-country trials being conducted this year. While many trials remain localized within a single country, there has been a definitive movement towards conducting trials in multiple countries, especially for larger, later-stage trials. This is driven by the positives that multi-country trials offer, like faster patient recruitment, lower costs in some regions, and the need for diverse patient populations.. However, behind the scenes, a critical bottleneck has been slowing many trials down. This bottleneck is the translation process that’s required to make trials work across multiple languages, locales, and regulatory bodies/organizations.

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Since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, the buzz around artificial intelligence has been impossible to ignore. From advertisements during the SuperBowl to webinars and working groups, the impact of artificial intelligence has been felt in almost every sector of our world.

But, what if we told you the most transformative shift is still on the horizon?

When ChatGPT first released it changed the way the world, including clinical research, worked. Now NVIDIA, one of the most premier companies leading the way in the development of AI, has stated that they expect the development of Agentic AI, a new type of artificial intelligence to “change the way we work in ways that parallel how different work became with the arrival of the internet.” 

This means agentic AI may have a much bigger impact than even generative AI did years back. 

So, if you’re curious about agentic AI, read on as we delve into its nature, differentiate it from generative AI, and reveal its transformative role in clinical research."

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The 2025 Drug Information Association (DIA) Global Annual Meeting, held in Washington D.C., is beginning to wind down. As always, the conference has left a clear vision for the future of clinical trials. one defined by groundbreaking innovation, unprecedented global collaboration, and a profound commitment to patient well-being. This year's conference underscored key themes that are shaping the landscape of medical product development, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Real-World Data (RWD) taking center stage.

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