Navigating pharma’s globalisation with worldwide healthcare temperature-controlled logistics

The pharmaceutical industry has evolved in many ways over the past 50 years, and one of the most notable is its globalisation. Today, innovative drug products are being developed around the world and are marketed and sold to a much larger proportion of the global population. The clinical trial industry is globalising alongside its big sister pharma, and both sectors are in need of global logistics partners that can serve their growing and constantly evolving demands.?

One service provider well-positioned to meet these needs is CRYOPDP, which provides temperature-controlled logistics for the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and clinical trial communities. With 24 facilities across 14 countries and a wider network that spans more than 150 countries, CRYOPDP has the global needs of the life science industry covered. And behind it all is a strong focus on quality service, says the group’s chief operating officer Tangi Tremorin:

“When you are dealing with patients’ lives, you have no room for errors. It’s all about quality service, making sure we distribute the products not only on time but within the right specifications, at the right temperature. The majority of the clinical trial companies that we work with are really global. Clinical trials can sometimes be in 20-plus countries. Providing the same quality service everywhere, in every part of the world, is really critical for the pharma market.”

Quality service, around the world

A robust quality management system (QMS) underpins this commitment by centralising all procedures and ensuring the same quality service is delivered not only from CRYOPDP’s own offices and driving fleet but those of its service partners, too.?

“We select and qualify them through our QMS with thorough evaluation processes managed by the quality department. Once we have qualified them as a service partner we provide specific training with SOPs and through our transport management system and then monitor very closely the quality of the service,” explains Tremorin.?

Proving that dedication like this really does pay off, Tremorin?mentions the company’s 99.96% global service quality rating, which includes both CRYOPDP and its partners. The same responsibility is taken for any service done by CRYOPDP as its service partners, he adds.?

Driving this service excellence is the company’s strong sense of mission, which Karine Gradziel, Chief Commercial Officer at CRYOPDP, describes as “to assist in improving the health of people around the world and saving the lives of patients.” To achieve that mission, CRYOPDP strives to constantly strengthen its global footprint, particularly in the markets where there is a growing need for pharmaceutical logistics.?

Europe and the US

A significant amount of pharmaceutical R&D is concentrated in Central Europe. According to OECD data, the pharmaceutical industry spent approximately $20.1bn on R&D across EU countries in 2016.??

This concentration is also reflected in the strong clinical trials markets of countries like Germany, the UK, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium – the top seven countries in the WHO’s list of clinical trials by country. As of March 2022, GlobalData figures show there are more than 2,000 clinical trials ongoing in Belgium, and in 2017 the small country accounted for 19% of Europe’s oncology trials.

In May 2021, CRYOPDP announced the acquisition of F-airGate, a temperature-controlled supply chain solutions company located right in the heart of Europe: Brussels. CRYOPDP’s acquisition of the Belgian company complements its already strong footprint in the UK, France, Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands, helping it to access different geographies through its expansive network of facilities. With studies projecting the European clinical trials market to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% between 2018-2026, CRYOPDP is excited to support this expanding market, improving disease outcomes for patients across the continent.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, CRYOPDP is also stepping up its service offering in the US. US-based pharmaceutical companies continue to drive the life science industry’s growth. The country’s pharmaceutical sector grew from $305bn in 2011 to $377bn in 2019. By 2025, GlobalData forecasts it to reach a value of $441bn. CRYOPDP is currently targeting a lot of investment towards this space and is experiencing fast growth in the US as a result.?

In particular, cell and gene therapies have become a key focus of the US sector and is an area that CRYOPDP is ready to serve with high-quality temperature-controlled logistics. Through the reliability of its services, CRYOPDP is poised to help US pharma companies overcome the challenges of the cell and gene supply chain.

Growing markets in Asia-Pacific

But gone are the days when Europe and the US were the world’s only hubs for life science activity. Today, just under half of all global clinical trials take place in Asia-Pacific. As the biotech market in APAC thrives, CRYOPDP is making sure it can meet the region’s rapidly growing demand for its services.?

Along with its sister company Cryoport System, CRYOPDP recently opened a new facility in Singapore. This followed the launch of the first jointly operated Global Logistics Center in Osaka, Japan, in 2020 – another step in the group’s strategy to strengthen its APAC footprint.

Within Asia-Pacific, one market growing steadily on the clinical trials side (and with great pharmaceutical growth potential) is Australia. Between 2012 and 2021, the number of clinical trials initiated in Australia grew at an increase of 40.48% according to GlobalData figures, with oncology a leading therapy area. Noticing this potential, 2021 also saw CRYOPDP acquire an Australian market leader in premium healthcare logistics management services: Critical Transport Solutions Australia.?

With two new sites in major cities Sydney and Melbourne, CRYOPDP’s acquisition of this company is helping it to address the increased clinical trial activity in Asia-Pacific. The company is now well on track to become a top player in the Australian market.?

From strategic locations to fast positioning in key markets, it’s all part of CRYOPDP’s aim to better accomplish its mission by aligning with companies that share its mindset. “It’s the people; always the people,” Gradziel adds. “The more global we’re getting, the more exciting it gets because we are thinking global but as a?unit. We work for each other, we help each other, we push each other to be better.”?

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