Life Sciences at a Crossroads: AI, Compliance, and the Replatforming of Pharma Engagement
A BizTechReports Q&A with Anupam Nandwana, CEO of P360
As artificial intelligence reshapes the business landscape, the life sciences sector finds itself at a pivotal inflection point. Pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and patients alike are grappling with how to accelerate digital transformation while staying within the bounds of some of the strictest regulatory frameworks in the global economy. The traditional approach—face-to-face rep visits, paper-heavy workflows, and siloed operations—is increasingly out of step with the need for timely, personalized, and compliant communication. The stakes are high: lives depend on the right information reaching the right people at the right time.
In this executive vidcast interview with BizTechReports, Anupam Nandwana, CEO of P360, explains how his company is helping pharmaceutical firms modernize engagement models through AI-powered platforms that streamline outreach, safeguard compliance, and improve outcomes. Nandwana outlines a new paradigm where field reps become concierge-style resources available on demand, AI surfaces relevant insights in real time, and communication systems are engineered to prevent regulatory missteps before they happen. It’s a story of transformation—from costly manual processes to a scalable digital infrastructure that aligns pharma, physicians, and patients around better care delivery and operational efficiency.
Here is an excerpt of what Nandwana had to say:
Q: Why is the traditional pharma engagement model no longer viable in today’s healthcare landscape?
Nandwana: The old model—where field reps visited doctors in person and handed out brochures—is outdated, expensive, and inefficient. A single visit can cost between $500 and $700 and reach only 200 doctors in a territory. But more importantly, physicians today expect digital, real-time access to information. They don’t want interruptions; they want intelligent, relevant touchpoints on their own terms. So the model has to shift to concierge-style engagement: always available, but only activated when needed.
Q. How are pharma and med device companies adapting their field operations to meet this new reality?
Nandwana: They’re moving toward omnichannel engagement strategies. That means reps, MSLs, and support teams connect with providers via text, video, voice, or document exchange—all orchestrated through a secure, compliant platform. These interactions are no longer “visits”—they’re consultative, data-driven conversations. And they’re supported by AI, which helps prioritize which doctors to contact, what content to share, and when to escalate to a specialist or medical science liaison.
Q: What makes the life sciences environment uniquely challenging when it comes to digital transformation?
Nandwana: The dual mandate: innovate rapidly while complying with some of the most rigid regulatory frameworks in the world. For example, pharma companies can’t send messages to doctors that reference off-label uses or unapproved patient categories. If they do, even unintentionally, the consequences can be severe. That’s why P360 embeds compliance rules directly into our platform—so if a message crosses a line, it’s blocked automatically. It’s about protecting doctors, patients, and the companies themselves.
Q. How does P360’s platform support these new modes of communication while maintaining strict compliance?
Nandwana: We provide a centralized, cloud-based environment that acts as a compliant “system of record” for all digital interactions. Doctors don’t have to download apps. They receive texts or calls as they would from any other professional contact—but behind the scenes, everything is governed, logged, and auditable. We also respect strict firewalls: pharma can communicate with doctors and patients, but never both together in a way that compromises privacy or creates undue influence.
Q. What operational efficiencies are companies gaining from this shift to AI-powered engagement?
Nandwana: It’s not just about replacing field visits. It’s about expanding access and improving responsiveness. With our platform, companies can go from reaching 200 doctors in a region to 500. They can support complex therapies by providing instant co-pay information or access to scientific literature via AI-driven suggestions. And if a rep leaves, AI can summarize two years of engagement history for their replacement—ensuring continuity. This is how we operationalize institutional knowledge in real time.
Q. How does the platform accommodate patient engagement, particularly with medical devices?
Nandwana: Take home dialysis equipment, for example. If the machine throws an error, our platform can automatically text the patient with step-by-step instructions—avoiding a long call to customer support. It’s faster, less stressful for the patient, and more efficient for the manufacturer. And because these interactions are structured and recorded, they’re compliant by design. This builds trust and improves adherence—two of the biggest factors in long-term outcomes.
Q. What economic and regulatory pressures are driving adoption of platforms like P360?
Nandwana: Healthcare is nearly 20% of U.S. GDP, and every stakeholder is under pressure to do more with less. Operational cost reduction is no longer optional. At the same time, compliance risks are rising. In finance, noncompliant digital communication has cost firms over $3 billion in fines. Pharma is next in line. Regulators expect a clear system of record. That’s what we provide: a platform that supports real-time engagement and real-time oversight—without compromise.
Q. Where is AI delivering the most immediate value—and how do you manage its limitations?
Nandwana: AI shines in areas that involve pattern recognition, summarization, and recommendation. We use it to analyze provider behavior, suggest next best actions, and surface relevant scientific content. But we’re very deliberate: AI augments the human, it doesn’t replace them. A medical science liaison still delivers the final answer. A compliance team still approves the content. Our role is to reduce the cognitive and operational load—so that expertise can be applied more efficiently and effectively.
Q. How is this approach being received across the life sciences value chain—pharma, providers, and patients?
Nandwana: Adoption is strong, especially among larger pharmaceutical firms with global operations. Providers appreciate the simplicity—no new systems, no logins, just relevant information when they need it. And patients benefit too, even if they don’t see the backend tech. Whether it’s a faster response, a more informed doctor, or a smoother onboarding process for a therapy, the impact is real. We’re not just enabling better marketing—we’re enabling better medicine.
Q. Looking ahead, what’s the next frontier for P360 and for digital engagement in life sciences?
Nandwana: We’re building toward scalable, AI-powered personalization at the enterprise level. That means supporting millions of individual, contextualized interactions between pharma, doctors, and patients—each one fully compliant, fully auditable, and fully integrated. This isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s a strategic rethinking of how the life sciences ecosystem communicates, collaborates, and delivers value. And it’s happening now, faster than many expected.
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