SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549



                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 25, 2002





                          QUINTILES TRANSNATIONAL CORP.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


       NORTH CAROLINA              000-23520                 56-1714315
      (State or other        (Commission File No.)        (I.R.S. Employer
       jurisdiction                                    Identification Number)
     of incorporation)



             4709 CREEKSTONE DRIVE, RIVERBIRCH BUILDING, SUITE 200,
                       DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA 27703-8411
                    (Address of principal executive offices)



                                 (919) 998-2000
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


                                       N/A
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)







ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.*

         (c)      Exhibits

Exhibit Number           Description of Exhibit
--------------           ----------------------

99.01                    Press Release, dated October 25, 2002, of Quintiles
                         Transnational Corp.


ITEM 9.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.*

         On October 25, 2002, Quintiles Transnational Corp. (the "Company")
issued a press release updating the activities of the special committee of its
Board of Directors and identifying the members of the special committee. A copy
of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.01 and incorporated by
reference herein.





* The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the exhibits, is
furnished pursuant to Item 9 and shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the
purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or
otherwise subject to the liability of that section. Furthermore, the information
in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the exhibits, shall not be deemed
to be incorporated by reference into the filings of the Company under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.





                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                                QUINTILES TRANSNATIONAL CORP.



                                                By: /s/ John S. Russell
                                                    ----------------------------
Dated: October 28, 2002                             John S. Russell
                                                    Executive Vice President and
                                                    General Counsel








EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit Number      Description of Exhibit
--------------      ----------------------
99.01               Press Release, dated October 25, 2002, of Quintiles
                    Transnational Corp.