Ensuring Safety and Efficacy in the Cold Chain Space

In a video interview with Pharma Commerce, Delphine Perridy, chief commercial officer, Envirotainer, noted that the pharmaceutical industry is undergoing significant evolution driven by unmet patient needs, rapid scientific advancements, and the emergence of new technologies. Innovations such as gene therapies, precision medicines, and advancements in obesity treatment with GLP-1s exemplify this shift. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence in drug discovery is streamlining research and development processes, lowering costs, and accelerating time to market. As a result, pharmaceutical companies must adapt their business models to ensure that newly approved drugs reach patients worldwide more efficiently. Perridy also shared why ultra-precise temperature control and customized logistics solutions are so critical when it comes to biologics and personalized medicine; why has the demand for sustainable practices has risen exponentially; Where she believes the pharma cold chain is heading in the next few years in terms of technological breakthroughs and market dynamic shifts.

A transcript of Perridy’s conversation with PC can be found below.

PC: Why are ultra-precise temperature control and customized logistics solutions so critical when it comes to biologics and personalized medicine?

Perridy: With new, emerging treatments that are more and more complex, the transportation requirements are increasing as well, so we need to ensure that the drugs remain safe [during] the shipments; more complex therapies often imply stricter requirements. The cold chain is getting colder (temperature-wise); smaller, because with the personalized medicine, we need smaller packaging; and more global as well—we need to be able to ship drugs to the more remote locations. I think that's why technology is also coming into play, and real-time monitoring is becoming very important as well.

Our customers really want to be able to follow their drug, ensuring efficacy and safety toward the entire journey. That's why it's critical for us to try to come up with new technologies where we can share real-time data with our customers and they can be entitled to act—if something is happening—by setting alerts, and trying to really follow the risk of their shipments, so risk management I would say.