COVID-19 vaccine development and rollout were crucial to gaining control of the pandemic. When the success of these efforts became dependent on the ability to maintain lower than typical temperatures during distribution, the importance of reliable and continuous cold chain solutions for mRNA-based formulations was thrust into the spotlight. Beyond pandemic mitigation measures and outside…
How direct-to-patient can impact pharma supply chains
In the wake of COVID-19, telemedicine has become the only means for delivering patient care for many physician groups. As healthcare providers adapted to treating patients virtually, patients likewise adapted to disrupted routines. For those dependent on prescription medication to treat or manage a medical condition, “going to the pharmacy” was an errand replaced by…
Aphena reveals plans for third-party logistics division
Aphena Pharma Solutions has announced the launch of a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Division at its campus in Cookeville, Tenn. The pharmaceutical packaging and manufacturing company plans to complete the new division by the end of the year and serve new clients in early 2022. The 3PL unit will cater to the prescription pharmaceutical market, focusing…
How silica can support cold chain logistics
In the early days of the pandemic, the subarctic storage requirements for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines sparked renewed interest in the cold chain. One potentially overlooked element of the cold chain is silica, according to the specialty chemicals company Evonik. The company states that its Aerosil fumed silica supports passively cold transport units using cool packs…
How end-to-end visibility and machine learning can safeguard the vaccine supply chain
For any vaccine, some degree of waste is expected. The problem is inspiring supply-chain companies to explore new technologies that can address a longstanding struggle. “Before COVID-19, we often saw waste of about 8–10%,” said Ranjeet Banerjee, CEO of Cold Chain Technologies, which provides insulated packaging for drugs and biologics. A 2019 World Health Organization report citing…
It’s time to rethink pharma supply chains
Global supply chains have arguably seen more disruption in the past year than they have seen in decades. Pharmaceutical supply chains were especially vulnerable in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a rethink of supply chain management for the industry. Another wrinkle is a recent executive order from President Biden, which prompted a…
Why continuously monitoring COVID-19 vaccines’ temperature is critical
While vaccine hesitancy will be a barrier in battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the storage requirements for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will invariably be another significant hurdle. The BNT162b2 vaccine candidate from Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) — with its subarctic storage requirements of -70°C — could be especially vexing. Approximately 5% of the vaccine, which Pfizer developed with partner BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX), could…