Security & Temperature Control In The Cold Chain

With the increase in global pharmaceutical shipments, driven by the aging of the world’s population and the increase in available therapies, many pharmaceutical and biotech executives are hindered in their attempts to provide an accurate cost-benefit analysis of the transport of their drugs to market.

Two distinct yet inter-related aspects must be considered when analyzing transportation within the cold chain: 1.) the physical security of the drugs being moved 2.) the temperature “security” or control of the drugs being shipped.

Adding further complexity to the cost-benefit analysis, the design of pharmaceuticals and biologics are becoming more complex (and therefore potentially unstable), and regulatory authorities around the globe are demanding a greater degree of proof concerning drugs’ identity, strength, quality and purity. Regardless of the needed temperature setting (deep cold, 2-8ºC, or room temperature) or the degree of security oversight, these factors combined have driven the need for a wiser evaluation of transport partners within the cold chain and their capabilities.