COVID-19 and the Clinical Supply Chain: Mitigating Risk and Maintaining Business Continuity

COVID-19, Pharma Industry, Supply Chain

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect global supply channels, clinical supply organiza­tions had to quickly pivot to ensure investigational medicinal product (IMP) continued to reach its final destination. Initially, to ensure patients already participating in ongoing clinical trials continued to receive their medication and, later, to facilitate the supply of potential COVID-19 therapies.

From the clinical supply chain perspective, rapidly incorporating these patient-centric elements and ensuring the continuity of trials was challenging, requiring an abrupt change in strategies along with new approaches.

Four specialists – spanning the biopharmaceutical industry, a specialist courier service, and a clinical supplies packaging, and distribution organization – recently met at the Global Clini­cal Supplies Group (GCSG) virtual conference, held September 21-25, 2020, and participated in a panel session to share their unique experiences with the clinical supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. The esteemed panelists included:

• Summer Doty,  CPIM , Director, Clinical Supply Chain, Gossamer Bio
• Ana-Zeralda Canals Hamann, PhD, Senior Clinical Trials Supplies Manager, Debiopharm Interna­tional S.A.
• Paul O’Connor, Global Vice President of Quality, Almac Clinical Services
• David Spillett, Global Account Director, World Courier

This paper summarizes highlights of the discussion spanning risk mitiga­tion, business continuity and lessons learned for preparing for future disruptions.

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GCSG would like to thank Bay Area Research Logistics for co-sponsoring the development of this important article.