Veeva Buys Copli to Speed Pharma Marketing Reviews

Veeva Systems bought Copli, a developer of review workflow software, and launched Veeva Falcon MLR. The product uses artificial intelligence to speed up medical, legal and regulatory review of marketing materials for life sciences companies.

That review process is a bottleneck for drug and device makers who need to clear each promotional piece with multiple reviewers. Copli's technology automates parts of that workflow, Veeva said. Falcon MLR plugs directly into Veeva's Vault content management platform, letting customers create content and route it through approval in one system.

The purchase gives Veeva a stronger position in the market for MLR software, where competitors include IQVIA and Envido. Veeva already dominates cloud-based content management for pharma. Adding Falcon MLR ties content creation to the review step more tightly, which could speed up time-to-market for marketing campaigns.

Integration of Copli's team and technology carries typical execution risk. Customers may need to retrain staff or adjust existing review processes. Veeva did not disclose the purchase price or the size of Copli's workforce. The Falcon MLR launch adds a new revenue stream to Veeva's subscription business. Near-term adoption depends on how quickly existing Vault users add the new module.

Veeva reports earnings in August. The first post-acquisition quarter will give investors a look at initial customer uptake.