Case study

Bringing innovation to clinical trial supply chains

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Demands for increasingly complex international clinical trials have led drug developers to collaborate with specialist couriers to manage their clinical trials supply chain.

 

Often acting as a third party, the courier manages all the study samples, including liaising with the collection/delivery sites, providing validated packaging and transporting the temperature-controlled samples, as well as designing contingency plans throughout.

For this clinical trial, Biocair acted as the third party contracted shipping organisation, responsible for the collection, processing, storage, transportation and delivery of human donor samples.

The customer is a global pharmaceutical company, specialised in the research, development and manufacturing of medicines and vaccines.

Global pharmaceutical company

Clinical trial involving 300 participants across EU and non-EU countries

Complete logistics management using innovative supply chain solutions

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Challenges

With over 300 participants spread across five collection clinics in the EU and Norway, and a varied range of samples, including DNA and plasma, there was a need for a secure, seamless and compliant delivery throughout the clinical trial.

Customs regulations, changing flight plans and the need for cost minimisation

As this clinical trial included EU and non-EU countries, plus a wide range of samples at each collection site, Biocair had to ensure that all regulatory paperwork for customs was documented prior to shipping.

The multi-site study included remote locations, requiring Biocair’s worldwide network to ensure the seamless flow of shipments and information, whilst utilising the most efficient transport lanes.

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Biocair supplies validated and pre-conditioned temperature-controlled packaging for all temperature ranges

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Solution

Contingency planning and advanced preparation

Biocair created contingency plans at each phase of transportation, including sourcing replacement packaging and designing secondary flight plans in case of any airline delays.

"As part of our preparation for this clinical trial, we created Standard Operating Procedures tailored to the trial’s requirements and advised each office of the paperwork and packaging requirements.


By ensuring all the preparation was complete, collection and delivery was made in the shortest possible time as factors such as customs clearance were processed and prepared prior to the arrival of the samples at the airports."

Gary Rivers
Operations Support Manager, Biocair Inc

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Biocair's experts created tailored Standard Operating Procedures unique to the trial

 

White glove service

Biocair drivers arrived with validated packaging and placed the samples in the boxes, often directly in-front of the customer, thereby ensuring correct handover of valuable materials.

Often, the drivers were collecting up to eight sets of samples at the same collection site, many having different temperature requirements including dry ice and controlled ambient.

Expert customer support

Biocair fully optimised the clinical trial supply chain and ensured all samples were transferred to and from the collection/delivery sites via the most efficient routes.

Whenever required, local Biocair experts were immediately available to help expedite the import process, all while maintaining the highest levels of compliance standards in the industry.

"The Biocair office I work with has provided terrific service - the staff are helpful and always responsive to my questions and requests.

This trial involved multiple international sites both inside and outside the EU, as well as shipping multiple sample types that had to be sorted at the clinical sites.

The shipments were carried out quickly and without any issues.”

Customer spokesperson

Summary

As an expert in clinical trial logistics, Biocair’s staff from across its network of global offices are trained to understand the essential temperature and time sensitive requirements that are unique to clinical trials.

Biocair handles and transports Investigational Medicinal Product and samples during all phases of clinical trials, whether they be infectious or non-infectious, ambient or refrigerated or on dry ice.

Wherever legally possible, Biocair will complete all necessary paperwork, including consignment notes, air waybills, customs declarations, dangerous goods certificates and all labelling for transport.

Do you have an upcoming clinical trial requiring temperature-controlled shipping solutions? Find out how Biocair can help.

Get in touch with our experts

Wherever you are located in the world, our team of experts are on hand to support your supply chain.

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