Iqvia (formerly QuintilesIMS) is the result of the merger of Quintiles, a leading late-stage contract research organization, and IMS Health, a dominant player in life sciences data and analytics. The combined company has become a leader among contract research organizations, or CROs, and in the life sciences data and analytics industry. As a result of the merger, the company leads in real-world evidence, in which data from sources such as patient records or medical claims can be used to create clinical evidence for regulatory approval.