Clinical supply & logistics
The drive towards sustainability isn’t necessarily fuelled by regulatory pressure. But with plenty of voluntary initiatives in place, companies are interested in making changes both from a reputational and ethical perspective. Many have made firm commitments towards carbon neutrality, and minimising their footprint in the supply chain is a large piece of the puzzle. Any third-party logistics providers they choose to work with will need to share those sustainability goals.
Clinigen, for its part, has set a Net Zero ambition for 2040. As part of this, the company is looking to obtain Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) approval for all its environmental goals by 2025.
The need for change
As Rose reinforces, while quality and sustainability don’t need to be at odds, meeting both goals simultaneously ‘isn’t an easy ask’. Given the sheer length of the cold chain, and the number of steps and handovers along the way, it may require an entire systematic transformation. “From the manufacturer to in-licensor to wholesaler, to the packaging and distribution players and finally to patients, there are various points of pick-up and drop-off that need to reach and maintain sub-ambient temperatures,” he says. On top of that, product requirements vary significantly. Some need specialised packaging materials, which may not be as environmentally sound as one might wish. After all, if certain materials are used for only one niche, the industry is less likely to spend the time moulding them to the latest standards.
The upshot is that driving positive change across supply chains will require an influx of new ideas. Everyone involved in the process – manufacturers, suppliers and distributors – will need to take advantage of new technologies, which can help them meet quality and sustainability goals without expending unrealistic resources.
“If a product is high quality and its supply chain has a reduced carbon footprint, but is at a cost that is prohibitive to its equitable access, then this isn’t a sustainable solution – nor a solution at all,” points out Rose.
Optimising journeys
So, given the scale of the challenge, what can the cold chain industry do in practice? The most cost-effective way to reduce its carbon footprint might also be the simplest – namely to shorten the journeys taken. This doesn’t have to mean re-siting manufacturing facilities nearer to the end- user; it can also mean planning the transit route more effectively.
Clinical Trials Insight /
www.worldpharmaceuticals.net
“Creating a shorter path that requires fewer stop- off points – or anything that reduces the amount of transit via land, sea and air – can significantly reduce its impact on the environment,” says Rose. “This can be done by using combined services that pack, label and distribute in one, consolidating what would be multiple stops on the supply chain. Similarly, procurement direct from the manufacturer would avoid routes through wholesalers or other intermediaries and can reduce the stops the product takes.” Another option might be to switch from air freight to sea – or at least, achieve a better balance between the two. According to the MIT, for every ton-mile travelled, air freight generates 47 times more greenhouse gases than ocean shipping.
Reusable packaging and eco-friendly materials are reshaping the cold chain, cutting waste while keeping medicines safe.
“Quality and sustainability don’t need to be at odds, but meeting both goals simultaneously isn’t an easy ask.”
What’s more, as many as 20% of temperature- sensitive medicines are impacted by temperature excursions during air freight. While ocean freight is considerably slower, this may be offset by cost and sustainability gains. It may also bring greater scope to address temperature deviations in real time. As for the land portion of the journey, some big pharma companies are investing in fleets of electric or hybrid vehicles. AstraZeneca, for instance, says that over 50% of its fleet is now electric, and that the electricity used will be fully renewable by 2025. “The use of electric vehicles (EVs) is still limited but is increasingly becoming a factor in making the cold chain industry more environmentally friendly,” says Rose.
Many pharma companies choose to outsource their cold chain services to specialist providers,
35%
The percentage of the pharmaceutical market that cold chain drugs comprised in 2022, up from 26% in 2017.
IQVIA 29
CI Photos/
Shutterstock.com
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