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                       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): March 14, 2001





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


 NORTH CAROLINA                    340-23520                    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)




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ITEM 9.           REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.

         On March 13, 2001, the Board of Directors of Quintiles Transnational
Corp. (the "Company") authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of the
Company's common stock from time to time until March 1, 2002 at prices not to
exceed $30.00 per share. At the discretion of the Company's management, share
purchases may be made in open market, block or negotiated transactions,
including through financing vehicles. The timing and amount of stock repurchases
are subject to market conditions and other factors. Such purchases would, in
part, offset the issuance of shares for employee stock plans. This authorization
replaces the stock repurchase program authorized by the Board in February 2000,
which expired last month.

         Information set forth in this Current Report on Form 8-K contains
"forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, which statements represent the Company's judgment concerning the
future and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially, including without limitation, fluctuations in the
market price of the Company's common stock and other market conditions, the
nature of other investment opportunities available to the Company from time to
time and the Company's cash flow from operations. Additional factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company's recent
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited
to its Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Current Reports on Form 8-K and its other
periodic reports, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.


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                                   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/ James L Bierman
                                               -----------------------------
Dated: March 14, 2001                          James L. Bierman
                                               Chief Financial Officer