The cold chain, clinical trial, cell and gene therapy, and sensitive equipment industry requires significant changes to the logistics industry. It is important that biomedical products used for autologous and allogeneic therapies are shipped under strict deadlines within stringent validated temperature controls, with their chain of custody and identity confirmed.
BEAM Logistics is leveraging technology designed to address the complex logistics and supply chain issues in the biomedical industry and provides optimal monitoring, tracking, and data storage solutions for increasing efficiency and cost-savings to pharmaceutical, gene therapy, and classified and protective businesses.
Role of Technology in Logistics
The successful transportation and delivery of life-saving medical products and cell and gene therapy require scientific innovations. Cell and gene therapy supply chains, in particular, have to cover great requirements and dependencies so every part of the supply chain has to leverage superior technology and personnel. Without the right technology, these logistics cannot be performed efficiently or safely.
To ensure the cold chain and the chain of identity and custody remain preserved, technology like automated tracking, temperature control, and data logging and storing is crucial for patient safety. All of this information needs to be visible and auditable across the entire supply chain process in order to provide transparency to manufacturing facilities, regulatory bodies, and physicians.
Integration of innovative technology allows manufacturers to have optimized information about aspects like manufacturing, logistics, and data monitoring. This not just ensures low cost and time-saving benefits but also ensures there is a reduced risk of errors.
Having a technology-integrated logistic also ensures the chain of identity remains unbroken, which is of utmost importance in cell therapy processes. If the chain of identity is broken, it can have a seriously negative impact on the health of the patient and can also prove to be fatal.
Leveraging Cloud-based Technology
When it comes to cold chain, cell therapy, and emergency logistics, they are more focused on multiple manufacturing locations as well as different clinical sites across the regions having different processes and compliance requirements.
The use of cloud-based technology is essential in high-stakes logistics. Since pharmaceutical products and emergency products are so sensitive to any logistics disruptions, cross border shipments mean having a highly efficient, tightly controlled and integrated technological supply chain process around each site.
Using Smart Technologies
One major element of supply chain solutions is the development of smart packaging. Status monitoring and tracking software integrated with cross-border shipment solutions allows the parties real-time access to shipping data, including the location, shock, temperature, and orientation.
Users can also activate automated message alerts in response to alarm triggers, which can help them intercept the shipment and take the necessary actions to keep everything in control.
In addition, GPS technology can help geo-fence specific data locations like clinics, airports, or seaports. Once the shipment enters or leaves the geo-fenced area, the suppliers will get an automated notification, ensuring that the recipients are aware of the shipment arriving and are informed about any excursions.
Advancements in IT
The challenges and need for sensitive supply chains have created a high demand for advanced IT solutions. For many pharmaceutical, emergency, or HAZMAT products, logistics are an essential element in ensuring the right products reach the patient or receiver within a specific timeframe.
For example, if you consider the gene therapy supply chain, many factors need to be considered, including when patients need to come to the clinic, the duration of the apheresis process, the time when the product needs to be picked up from the clinic, the production process duration, the locations of the sites, and various other factors. All of this information is used to identify the most suitable mode of transportation and to achieve the best lane mapping and routing.
When it comes to autologous therapies, various challenges can only be tackled by IT advancements. For instance, each batch of autologous therapy is highly personalized and is produced for one patient only. Scaling depends on the number of batches needed rather than producing a higher volume of therapy.
In addition, scheduling is significantly different when moving from the early development stage to the late stage and commercialization.
The complexity of logistics is quite great and hence state-of-the-art IT logistics solutions are needed. When linked to the supply chain systems, IT solutions can leverage the available data to automate and forecast any forthcoming requests.
Decentralized Approach Required
The industry is plagued by various challenges when it comes to transportation and logistics. There are various instances where lane-mapping activities are not effective and show that no effective route is available for the successful delivery of products or that the material cannot be shipped within the requested frame of time. In some cases, this challenge can be overcome by gathering patient samples early on or requesting more flexibility in dispatching or accepting products in order to leverage the existing flight options.
As more gene therapies and sensitive products become commercialized, a more decentralized approach will have to be implemented. As manufacturing technologies evolve and allow easier implementation and control of modular buildings, the decentralized approach offers practical solutions.
As the biomedical field expands to encompass various health conditions, the world will see an even greater demand for decentralization so that these treatments and remedies may be supplied to a wide range of audiences.
Final Words
The fate of millions of patients and users rests on the industry’s ability to master complex logistics that are focused on supplying personalized and highly sensitive materials. The nature of advanced therapies, sensitive equipment, and HAZMAT materials and the unique challenges they come with make it necessary to choose logistics technology that comes with a proven track record of managing these supply chain solutions.
At BEAM Logistics, we leverage sophisticated logistics and transportation technology for the supply of cell and gene therapy products and cold chain, clinical trial, laboratory, emergency logistics, and other classified shipments and protective services. To find the perfect solution for your business, reach out to us today.
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