Life sciences organizations are facing both intense pressure and extraordinary opportunity, according to Mark Sullivan, president of regulated industries at Salesforce. In a conversation with The Top Line’s Chris Hayden, Sullivan said companies too often operate in “survival mode,” focused on defending margins rather than leading innovation. But with the rise of AI and agentic technologies, he said, the industry is poised for a transformation that could reshape how drugs are developed, trials conducted and patient data used — all at greater speed and lower cost.

Sullivan emphasized that this new era requires rethinking how companies engage with stakeholders. Instead of distant, one-way interactions, he said, agentic AI enables dynamic, conversational relationships that improve satisfaction and generate actionable insights. Salesforce, he noted, is expanding beyond its CRM roots to help life science enterprises become “agentic” organizations — integrating secure, compliant AI systems across finance, HR and supply chains. With data security and trust at the core, Sullivan called on leaders to look beyond software replacement and pursue true digital transformation for the good of patients and the industry alike.

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