Cactus Life Sciences advances secure medical communication with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Cactus Life Sciences (CLS) is a leading medical communications agency across the United States, Europe, the UK, India, and Japan. Since 2008, it’s helped pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations translate complex clinical and scientific data into clear, accurate, actionable insights for healthcare professionals, payers, and patients. With more than 350 professionals, most of them scientific writers with advanced science degrees, the company brings deep domain expertise to every engagement. That work involves analyzing large volumes of sensitive, proprietary pharmaceutical data. Manual processes such as search string creation, document review, and structured data extraction were well governed but resource-intensive at scale, with scientific writers managing large volumes of abstracts and project managers coordinating overflowing inboxes across remote teams. CLS needed internal solutions to drive greater efficiency across all functions, without compromising data security.

Modernizing medical communications with secure AI integration

CLS chose Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 365 Copilot to modernize operations. Security was a non-negotiable requirement. “Data security is always our top priority,” says Shama Buch, Vice President, AI Transformation at Cactus Life Sciences. “Any tools we adopt must meet stringent security features with enterprise-grade security.” Copilot’s built-in protections help keep client data secure, while enterprise-grade authentication and dedicated project environments give teams the confidence to use these tools with sensitive data. Employees have quickly adapted, using automation in familiar Microsoft tools for seamless adoption.

Previously, CLS relied on manual workflows and secure large language models to process clinical, regulatory, and scientific data. The company introduced Copilot through a phased approach, starting with more than 30 automation agents aligned to key workflows. Using Microsoft's agent builder framework, CLS customized agents to streamline tasks across the organization. “We decomposed our workflows and built agents to accelerate each step, so people have time to review and raise quality,” says Odity Mukherjee, Lead AI Transformation at Cactus Life Sciences. “AI supports the labor-intensive parts; it doesn't own the task.”

These agents now automate the retrieval and structuring of information from scientific literature, freeing scientific writers to focus on deeper analysis and synthesis. Additional automation tools support abbreviation checks, formatting consistency, and alignment with regulatory and publication standards, while agents extract and compare insights across multiple documents, with review controls intact.

To drive adoption, CLS launched a Copilot Champions program, identifying AI evangelists to lead change. A dedicated training team rolled out modular programs to ensure employees understood the capabilities and limitations of AI tools. The company also established a centralized repository for prompts, agent ideas, and best practices, fostering a community of innovation. “We didn't just want to automate tasks, we wanted to reimagine how work gets done,” says Mukherjee. “With tools like Copilot, we've been able to rethink our workflows from the ground up, creating new efficiencies that free our teams to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional science to our clients.”

Accelerating collaboration and security with Copilot automation

Since adopting Copilot and agents, CLS reports efficiency and collaboration. Structured data extraction now complete approximately 35% to 50% faster, even as outputs continue to undergo an established human review. Project managers use agents to summarize email communications and generate task lists, while scientific writers manage large volumes of articles more effectively.

Innovation is taking root. As Mukherjee explains, “We built our Copilot Champions program about 6–8 months ago to create a vibrant community. This helps drive experimentation and allows new ideas to emerge, whether it’s developing agents or finding new ways AI and automation can augment our work.”

CLS maintains a “Human Anchored AI” approach, keeping people involved in every step. Quality control and governance remain unchanged to address concerns about AI hallucinations, bias, and error tolerance. Adoption has been peer-led rather than top-down, building on existing trust.

CLS will continue exploring how agents complement manual efforts. As the company evolves, the focus will remain on using technology to support people, not replace them. Mukherjee emphasizes, “AI is powerful, but it requires careful training and oversight.” All AI-enabled outputs remain subject to Company established human review, quality control, and governance processes. With a culture of continuous improvement and responsible innovation, Cactus Life Sciences is positioned to keep evolving its use of Copilot, ensuring technology continues to support its people and deliver sustained value to clients.

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