Building Robust Clinical Supply Chains To Support Global Trials

By Edward Groleau, PCI Pharma Services

Clinical trials are growing in complexity as sponsors aim to increase patient population diversity and reach patients around the world. Developing and maintaining a robust clinical supply chain is crucial to ensure investigational drugs are readily available at clinical sites when needed.

Understanding factors such as trial duration, patient recruitment rates, dosing schedules, and geographical distribution is a critical first step for accurately forecasting the demand for the investigational drug. Leveraging reliable suppliers for raw materials/APIs and packaging materials and working with global CDMOs with a local presence in your clinical trial territories can help to mitigate risk and build resilience in your supply chain. It is also crucial that both in-house operations and your global CDMO partners have the flexibility to quickly respond to unplanned events that will occur during the trial.

Ensuring investigational drugs reach patients at the right time and place is no simple feat. Review ten key areas to consider as you build a robust clinical supply chain that supports global trials effectively and efficiently.