Pharma GCCs now sit at the centre of medical affairs transformation. What began as operational support has evolved into high-impact enablement across R&D, compliance, and clinical execution. As trial complexity grows and timelines tighten, GCC for clinical trials has emerged as a strategic lever to improve speed, quality, and scalability across global drug development programmes.
why are pharma companies reconsidering GCCs for clinical trial management?
Pharma companies initially approached GCCs for clinical trial support with caution. Early models struggled to keep pace with the operational and scientific demands of modern drug development. The key challenges in earlier GCC models included:
- Fragmented global processes: Clinical trial activities evolved independently across regions, limiting harmonisation and slowing cross-market coordination.
- Siloed markets and duplicated execution: Teams repeated similar activities across geographies, creating inconsistencies in data quality and trial governance.
- Underutilisation of technology and automation: Manual workflows dominated data review, reporting, and documentation, increasing error risk and cycle times.
- Limited scalability of delivery models: Traditional GCC structures could not flex easily with changing trial volumes or protocol complexity.
These limitations became more visible as trials grew larger, more data-intensive, and globally distributed. At the same time, business expectations around speed, insight, and predictability increased sharply, thus driving a shift towards modern GCCs.
- Strategic relevance: Clinical trial performance now directly influences portfolio prioritisation and competitive advantage.
- Technology-led transformation: AI, analytics, and digital platforms enable centralised control with local execution.
- Rising demand for speed and efficiency: Sponsors increasingly rely on accelerating clinical trials with GCCs to reduce timelines without compromising quality.
GCCs transforming the clinical trial process
GCCs now operate as integrated engines across the clinical lifecycle. Each capability connects data, people, and technology to improve execution speed and decision quality.
centralising clinical data and analytics
A clinical data management GCC provides a unified foundation for data ingestion, validation, and standardisation. Centralised oversight improves data quality, supports faster interim analyses, and reduces downstream rework across studies. Advanced analytics layers convert this data into actionable insight, enabling early risk detection and more confident trial decisions.
enabling smarter patient recruitment and trial execution
GCCs apply predictive analytics to identify high-performing sites and eligible patient populations. Digital engagement tools support enrolment and retention, particularly in multi-country and decentralised trials. This data-led approach reduces recruitment delays and improves protocol adherence.
strengthening regulatory, quality, and documentation control
Centralised compliance teams track evolving regulatory requirements across regions. Digital document management platforms maintain version control for protocols, amendments, and safety reports. Clinical data management GCCs improve inspection readiness while reducing administrative burden on study teams.
advancing biostatistics, programming, and data science
Specialised GCC talent supports statistical modelling, programming, and clinical data science. Integrated workflows shorten analysis cycles and improve collaboration between statisticians, clinicians, and operations teams. Predictive models help flag safety signals, protocol deviations, and operational bottlenecks earlier.
optimising supply chains and decentralised trial models
Leveraging GCCs for clinical trial management supports forecasting, site supply planning, and logistics coordination. AI-driven simulations improve candidate selection and reduce late-stage risk. At the same time, GCCs enable virtual monitoring, remote data capture, and decentralised trial execution at scale.
Infosys BPM enables pharma organisations to design, build, and transform future-ready global capability centres for clinical trial management. Its AI-first approach combines platform-led services, domain expertise, and scalable delivery models. With the design–build–transform framework, sponsors can modernise operations while maintaining compliance and control.
must-have GCC capabilities for effective clinical trial management
High-performing GCCs for clinical trials rest on two foundational pillars.
- Harmonised processes that ensure consistency across regions, study phases, and functions. Standard workflows reduce variation, improve governance, and simplify regulatory compliance.
- Right-shoring and intelligent sourcing that align skills, locations, and delivery models to trial complexity. This balance improves cost efficiency while maintaining scientific rigour.
These pillars support key capabilities GCCs must have to ensure effective clinical trial management, including:
- AI and analytics integration: Embedded intelligence enables predictive insights, automation, and proactive issue resolution.
- Scalability by design: Scalable platforms ensure agile operations that expand or contract quickly as pipelines and trial volumes change.
- Built-in compliance controls: Automated validation and audit trails reduce regulatory risk across jurisdictions.
- Global process harmonisation: Standardised templates and workflows support consistent execution.
- Rapid, low-disruption implementation: Faster deployment accelerates time to value.
- Continuous improvement mechanisms: Performance data feeds ongoing optimisation and innovation.
These capabilities maximise the impact of GCC for clinical trial management and help accelerate the drug discovery and development workflows.
conclusion
Clinical trials demand speed, precision, and global coordination. Modern GCCs meet these demands by unifying data, talent, and technology into scalable operating models. From advanced analytics to decentralised execution, accelerating clinical trials with GCCs reshapes how therapies move from research to patients. As development cycles compress further, GCCs for clinical trial management will remain central to sustainable, high-performance drug innovation.
frequently asked questions
How do GCCs accelerate clinical trial timelines compared to traditional outsourcing models?
GCCs accelerate timelines by centralizing clinical data management (CDM) and analytics into a unified, 24/7 delivery model. Unlike fragmented outsourcing which creates data silos, integrated GCCs harmonize workflows across regions to enable faster interim analysis. This structural shift typically reduces cycle times for drug development and accelerates time-to-market.
Do centralized GCC models compromise regional regulatory compliance in clinical trials?
No, centralized GCCs actually strengthen compliance by standardizing validation protocols and audit trails across all jurisdictions. By maintaining a dedicated central compliance team that tracks evolving global regulations, Pharma companies ensure consistent governance. This reduces the risk of regulatory penalties and simplifies inspection readiness for multi-country trials.
What is the ROI of integrating AI into a Clinical Data Management GCC?
The primary ROI comes from predictive risk detection and automated data standardization, which significantly lowers manual review costs. AI-driven simulations allow trial managers to identify protocol deviations and operational bottlenecks before they delay the study. This proactive approach optimizes site supply planning and prevents expensive late-stage trial failures.
