FUTURE SUPPLY MODELS
critical development, enabling patients to receive their study medication at home. This reduces the burden of travel, improves retention rates, and enhances overall patient satisfaction. Furthermore, the use of digital tools to
engage with patients is becoming increasingly important. Mobile apps that track medication usage, provide reminders, and offer real-time support are playing a crucial role in improving patient adherence. These tools also generate valuable data that can be used to refine supply strategies, ensuring that the right supplies reach the right patients at the right time. Diversity in clinical trials is another factor set
to influence the clinical supply chain. There is a growing recognition of the need to include more diverse patient populations in clinical research to develop treatments that are effective for all demographics. Africa is emerging as a key region of interest for this purpose, with immense potential to contribute to global clinical trials. Despite representing over 18% of the global
population, Africa accounts for less than 9% of global clinical trials. This underrepresentation presents both a challenge and an opportunity. As pharmaceutical companies seek to diversify their patient pools, Africa is poised to play a more significant role in clinical research. However, this also requires a robust and reliable supply chain capable of supporting trials in the region, which may involve overcoming logistical challenges unique to the African context.
The data revolution: connecting, strengthening, and leveraging data Data has always been a cornerstone of clinical trials, but the way data is collected, managed, and utilised is evolving rapidly. The future of clinical supply chains will be heavily influenced by the ability to harness more data, better data, and more connected data. However, the challenges associated with data access, quality, and availability remain significant roadblocks. To overcome these challenges, there is a
growing emphasis on strengthening data quality, governance, security, and interoperability. The process of digitising health to generate data, collecting that data, and establishing robust governance frameworks around data
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management is critical. Clinical supply chains must be equipped to handle this influx of information, ensuring that data-driven decision-making becomes the norm rather than the exception.
Personalised and on-demand supply models The shift toward personalised medicine is not only reshaping clinical trials but also the supply chains that support them. As treatments become more tailored to individual patients, the supply chain must evolve to accommodate these changes. Personalised and on-demand supply models are emerging as key strategies for managing the complexities of delivering highly specialised therapies to smaller patient populations. In such context advanced analytics and machine learning will further help and be leveraged to predict demand, optimise inventory, and manage risk within the supply chain. Predictive analytics, for instance, can anticipate disruptions in the supply chain, allowing proactive measures to be taken to mitigate their impact. As AI becomes more integrated into supply chain operations, enhanced demand forecasting will become increasingly sophisticated, enabling companies to navigate the complexities of global production footprints more effectively. On-demand manufacturing and just-in-time
delivery are becoming more prevalent as supply chains strive to minimise waste and maximise efficiency. These models allow for greater flexibility in meeting the unique needs of each trial, reducing the risk of overproduction and ensuring that supplies are available when and where they are needed.
The impact of innovative therapeutic areas Another major dynamic confronting clinical trial supply chains is the progress being made in innovative therapeutic areas such as gene therapy, cell therapy, and precision medicine. These cutting-edge treatments have the potential to revolutionsee healthcare, but they also present significant supply chain challenges. Despite their growing importance, the ability to supply clinical trials for these therapies remains limited. The complexity of manufacturing and
delivering these advanced therapies requires a
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