TCS to manage Glaxo data

MUMBAI: TCS, India's largest software company, has signed a deal with UK-based Glaxo-Smithkline to set up a support centre in Mumbai for the pharmaceutical company's global drug development programme.

The multi-million dollar contract will help Glaxo analyse reams of patient and drug data it will generate while conducting clinical trials of its new drugs across the globe.

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To do the job, the software company will employ a team of highly skilled professionals, including pharmacologists, PhDs in life sciences, post-graduates in pharmacy, and individuals with a life sciences' background and experienced in clinical-data management and programming.

TCS will also help Glaxo in preparing regulatory reports based on biostatistical analysis of the data. The job for Glaxo is the third such assignment TCS has bagged in the clinical trial outsourcing space. Earlier, TCS won similar jobs from Danish Novo Nordisk which specialises in diabetic drugs and US-based Elli Lilly.

In the clinical research space (CR), companies like Pfizer set up their own captive centre which manages all its clinical studies. Then firms like Global CRO run global operations conducting clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.

Lastly, firms like TCS only manage the data generated by clinical trials. Says J Rajagopal, executive V-P, life sciences and healthcare, TCS: "Coupled with our experience in drug development programmes and skills in project management we can leverage our IT skills to provide a scalable model Glaxo."

(Source: Times of India)

-Mumbaikar