AI Goes to Work on Drug Safety: Boehringer Ingelheim Deploys ArisGlobal’s NavaX for Faster, Smarter Pharmacovigilance
In the high-stakes world of drug safety, speed and accuracy aren’t just nice to have—they’re life-critical. That’s why Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the largest pharma players globally, is betting big on AI to overhaul its pharmacovigilance operations. The company just rolled out LifeSphere® NavaX™, ArisGlobal’s GenAI-powered automation platform, to streamline how it processes individual case safety reports (ICSRs)—a fundamental, yet historically labor-intensive, part of drug safety.
And the results? Promising, even by pharma’s risk-averse standards. Within weeks, NavaX’s Advanced Intake solution was delivering data extraction accuracy rates of up to 90%, all while reducing the manual grunt work typically involved in case intake.
What NavaX Brings to the Table
At the core of this deployment is NavaX, ArisGlobal’s cognitive computing engine. It doesn’t just scan forms—it applies generative AI and dynamic data extraction to intelligently process and organize ICSRs. That means less time spent on data entry, more time for safety professionals to focus on complex tasks like medical reviews and benefit-risk assessments.
The system’s early success is notable not just for the numbers, but for the shift it represents. “By leveraging LifeSphere NavaX, we are unlocking the potential of AI and automation to transform the way our teams handle cases,” said Dr. Robert Buchberger, Head of Patient Safety and Pharmacovigilance at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Faster, more flexibly, and with greater accuracy.”
That’s the kind of language that indicates this isn’t just another pilot—it’s a foundational change in how one of the industry’s major players is managing safety.
Why It Matters
Pharmacovigilance has always been a double-edged sword: critical for compliance and patient safety, but also one of the most resource-intensive operations in life sciences. As regulatory burdens grow and case volumes spike, companies are being forced to modernize or risk falling behind.
That’s where platforms like LifeSphere® Unify, which NavaX runs on, come in. They’re not designed to replace human judgment, but to give safety teams the digital scaffolding to handle increasing complexity without scaling headcount at the same rate. In short, smarter systems for smarter compliance.
“This go-live is more than a technological milestone,” said Steve Nuckols, Head of Customer Support at ArisGlobal. “It’s a compelling example of how leading pharmaceutical companies can leverage GenAI to build scalable, intelligent pharmacovigilance ecosystems.”
Boehringer isn’t alone. There’s a noticeable uptick in top-tier pharmaceutical firms embracing AI for safety case intake—often seen as low-hanging fruit for automation given the repetitive nature of the work and the growing volume of reports.
From Pilot to Platform
What distinguishes Boehringer’s move from many of the AI-for-pharma press releases cluttering inboxes is the scope and execution. This isn’t a narrow pilot or sandbox test. It’s a live, operational deployment showing that GenAI can be trusted with sensitive, regulated workflows.
And crucially, the platform’s performance—extracting data at 90%+ accuracy—comes with the layers of quality control that regulators expect. That’s no small feat in an industry where even small errors can trigger big consequences.
As life sciences companies look to navigate everything from evolving EMA and FDA requirements to broader digital transformation agendas, Boehringer’s implementation offers a glimpse of what’s possible when AI is applied with focus, not fanfare.
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