Lilly's 50% Increase in Vendor Qualification Capacity

About Lilly

Lilly is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, and conducts clinical research in more than 55 countries. This requires a vast network of qualified clinical trial vendors.

The Challenge

As Lilly's clinical trial activities expanded, so did their vendor qualification needs. Managing the qualification process for a growing global vendor network within consistent timelines became increasingly complex, while their internal team was already stretched thin. 

Lilly also needed to qualify vendors across various categories within the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) spaces. Each vendor type required specialized expertise to ensure proper evaluation and compliance with global standards. However, capacity constraints limited their ability to manage the growing workload. 

This posed a critical risk: delays in vendor qualification could push back trial startups, affecting project timelines.

The Solution: Diligent Pharma 

By utilizing Diligent Pharma, Lilly gained immediate access to audit reports and qualification data from vendors already qualified by Diligent's auditors, who have deep expertise in 35+ GCP/GCLP vendor categories.

• Fast Onboarding: Lilly qualified and onboarded vendors in days rather than months, significantly reducing qualification timelines.

• Global Coordination: For vendors not yet audited, Lilly leveraged Diligent's global network of auditors to conduct simultaneous qualification audits worldwide, ensuring rapid vendor onboarding without compromising quality.

The Results

Through Diligent Pharma, Lilly achieved: 

• 50% increase in qualification capacity, overcoming internal resource limitations 

• Qualification in days, not months, reducing timelines from 3+ months to just days 

• Global reach across 35+ countries, providing access to qualified vendors aligned with global regulatory standards