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Elevating logistics support to meet demands of today’s pharma products

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EPM spoke with Nick Porter, president of World Courier (a global specialty logistics provider and a part of AmerisourceBergen) and Simon Brinckmann, senior director of Business Excellence & Innovation, about World Courier’s investment in a real-time location monitoring solution, the unique logistics considerations posed by ATMPs, and World Courier’s expanding geographic footprint.

Key insights:

Q: Why is there an increasing demand for real-time monitoring of pharma product shipments?

Brinckmann: Biopharma companies today are developing and bringing to market more complex, highly sensitive products that offer the potential to transform how we treat certain diseases. They trust their logistics partners to design and execute strategies to deliver these products around the world, on-time and in the right condition. Given the increasingly sensitive nature of these products, there is heightened demand for increased visibility throughout the shipment journey – including the precise location and internal temperature.

As our partners continue to drive innovation in medicine, we’re focused on how we can leverage advances in digital technology to deliver an improved customer experience and enhanced end-to-end logistics support. As part of that commitment, we are deploying a real-time location monitoring solution on all of our multi-use packages. The technology, developed by Controlant, will transmit data to operations teams across our global network, which spans more than 50 countries. The increased visibility will enhance our team’s ability to proactively monitor shipments in transit globally, anticipate and identify potential risks and then mobilise local teams, if needed, to take corrective measures to enable timely and secure deliveries.

Solutions that provide access to reliable, real-time data are a critical part of an effective logistics operation. By adding this technology to our packaging, we’re creating a new standard for tracking in the pharmaceutical logistics industry and providing our customers with enhanced support.

Q: What are some of the unique logistics challenges that ATMPs pose?

Porter: ATMPs are highly complex and sensitive, remaining viable only within narrow ranges of time and temperature. For example, fresh cells have a shelf life of between 12 and 96 hours before they degrade.

There is no room for error – particularly with autologous cell therapies as the supply chain starts with the patient. Developers and their partners must manage two time- and temperature-critical supply chains: first from the patient to the manufacturer then from the manufacturer back to the patient. Allogeneic cell therapies – often referred to as “off-the-shelf” – are derived from a single source of donor cells, cultured and expanded and then used to treat many patients. These therapies introduce additional logistics considerations, including a need for increased cryogenic storage capacity.

Cryopreservation (i.e. freezing cells below -150°C), in some cases, is critical to extend the shelf life and enable long-term storage and long-distance transit.

Q: How will World Courier’s investment in cryogenic storage capacity and liquid nitrogen charging stations help solve challenges in ATMP logistics?

Porter: The CGT market in Europe is projected to increase by 23% by 2026. During that same timeframe, the UK, Switzerland and Germany will experience a more than 20% increase in cryogenic transportation and storage needs related to in-country clinical trials. The projected growth mirrors what we heard from executives and managers in supply chain operational roles in companies with CGT products in clinical trials or those with commercial products: nearly 60% of the 100 survey respondents indicated that their need for cryogenic transportation and storage services will grow significantly in the next three years.

The projections underscore the importance of expanding cryogenic storage capacity and service capabilities globally to ensure these products can be safely stored, handled and transported to regions around the world. Through continued investments, we’ve doubled our cryogenic storage capacity across World Courier’s network of clinical and commercial depots since 2021 and expanded our network of liquid nitrogen charging centers and stations. That’s important because dry shippers – containers which are critical to maintain a complete cryogenic supply chain – need to be charged with liquid nitrogen within a qualified, controlled environment.

By expanding our network of charging centres and stations, we’re able to offer near-total global coverage and provide developers with access to cryogenic shipping solutions close to patient and manufacturing locations.

Q: How will expanding World Courier’s global footprint help to make the logistics journey a smoother one?

Porter: The global pharmaceutical market continues to experience tremendous growth. As sponsors launch clinical trial studies in new markets and more biopharma companies launch products in more countries worldwide, there is a heightened demand globally for logistics infrastructure and services to ensure products can reach the patients who need them.

With our global network, which includes GMP-compliant depots and transport offices, we’re uniquely positioned to deliver robust commercial and clinical supply support in markets around the world, including temperature-controlled transport and storage solutions and direct-to-patient logistics. We recently opened a clinical and commercial depot in Chile and a new clinical depot in Beijing, China, tripling our storage capacity in each market and better positioning us to meet our customers’ evolving needs. We also bolstered our presence in the United States, opening a new transport station in Atlanta and expanding our facilities in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles – all with the goal of delivering enhanced logistics support and an industry-leading customer experience.

In addition to the physical infrastructure, our team members based around the world offer extensive knowledge of local regulatory requirements and can mobilise contingency plans quickly, if needed, anywhere around the world. For example, if a shipment is delayed in customs, our team members can help expedite the import/export process in the local language.

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