A 2026 Blueprint for Third-Party Risk Management in Life Sciences
Your vendor ecosystem has become mission-critical—and a primary source of regulatory, operational, and cybersecurity risk.
Life sciences organizations now depend on an expanding network of CROs, CMOs, cloud providers, AI-enabled platforms, and specialized service partners. Regulators are responding with heightened expectations for continuous, auditable oversight of third parties, while threat actors increasingly exploit vendor ecosystems as their preferred attack vector.
This white paper outlines a modern, inspection-ready approach to Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM)—one that moves beyond point-in-time assessments to deliver continuous assurance, holistic intelligence, and scalable execution.
Download the white paper to learn how leading life sciences organizations are modernizing vendor oversight for 2026 and beyond. >>>
Why This White Paper Matters
Traditional vendor management approaches are no longer sufficient for today’s regulatory and threat environment.
Global health authorities—including the FDA, EMA, and EU regulators—now expect sponsors to demonstrate ongoing oversight of vendor cybersecurity posture, data integrity controls, cloud assurance, and AI governance. At the same time, rapid technology change has rendered annual assessments obsolete the moment they are completed.
This white paper provides a clear, defensible blueprint for evolving TPRM from a compliance burden into a strategic advantage—strengthening inspection readiness while enabling faster, more confident vendor engagement.
What You’ll Learn
In this white paper, USDM experts share a practical, future-ready framework for modern TPRM, including:
- Why traditional TPRM fails in today’s environment
Understand the structural limitations of point-in-time assessments, siloed cybersecurity reviews, and reactive monitoring models.
- How regulators are redefining third-party accountability
Learn how FDA CSA expectations, EMA supplier oversight requirements, GDPR vendor accountability, and NIS2 supply-chain security obligations converge on vendor risk management.
- The 2026 TPRM operating model
Explore a four-phase approach—Intelligence, Evaluation, Qualification, and Continuous Assurance—designed for regulated life sciences environments.
- How to implement continuous, holistic vendor intelligence
Go beyond cybersecurity questionnaires with integrated insights across cyber, compliance, financial stability, market position, and AI maturity.
- Best practices for AI vendor assessment
Learn how to evaluate AI-enabled vendors across data, model, and usage risks to support GxP-relevant activities.
- A real-world transformation case study
See how a global pharmaceutical company reduced evaluation cycle times, eliminated assessment backlogs, and passed regulatory inspection with zero vendor-related findings.
Who Should Read This
This white paper is written for leaders and practitioners responsible for vendor oversight and risk governance in regulated life sciences organizations, including:
- Quality & Compliance leaders
- IT, Security, and Cloud Assurance teams
- Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
- Digital, Data, and AI governance leaders
- Executive sponsors accountable for inspection readiness and operational resilience
About USDM Life Sciences
USDM Life Sciences brings more than 25 years of experience supporting pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies across regulated digital transformation.
Our TPRM Managed Service combines:
- Continuous cybersecurity monitoring
- Holistic OSINT-driven vendor intelligence
- SME-led qualification aligned to GxP expectations
- Scalable execution models designed for growing vendor ecosystems
The result: inspection-ready vendor oversight that enables innovation with confidence.