Temperature control A hot-headed


he transfer of pharmaceutical products with temperature requirements to clinical trials is a process in which many different players interact. Pharma companies themselves organise the shipping; transport companies handle the physical journey and ensure that products stay within the right temperature range; and the packaging industry provides storage containers designed to maintain an optimal temperature.


T


There are many technologies that pharma companies and their partners can turn to ensure


decision


The process of transporting pharmaceutical products to clinical trials has many moving parts, all of which bring potential risk. Between the pharma companies, their logistics partners and their packaging suppliers, there is a burden of responsibility to maintain the cold chain and choose the right blend of active and passive cooling equipment to ensure substances arrive in perfect condition. Jim Banks talks to


Temidayo Akenroye, associate professor of supply chain management and analytics at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, to learn what factors must be assessed when choosing a container for cooling and some of the innovations that could soon lower the risk and reduce a company’s carbon footprint.


the integrity of the cold chain. Each has its advantages, but the choice is not solely determined by efficacy. Supply chain costs are a key factor, and less sophisticated and energy-hungry cooling equipment may be preferred for that reason. Similarly, transportation solutions that require less energy bring sustainability benefits, so will be favoured by companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Such factors will determine the choice between active and passive cooling solutions. Active containers are those with electrically controlled cooling and


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Clinical Trials Insight / www.worldpharmaceuticals.net


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