World Courier - Global Transport Services

For almost 40 years, World Courier has been recognised as the gold standard for worldwide time-sensitive transportation. The only specialist courier company dedicated to treating every shipment on an individual priority basis, World Courier relies on its own international network of 140 wholly-owned offices in 50 countries.

World Courier is the acknowledged leader in delivering customised solutions and value-added services to the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. Each World Courier office is ISO 9001-certified and maintains its own IATA-certified Dangerous Goods team.

A partner in clinical trial logistics

As the leading specialty courier service for the pharmaceutical industry, World Courier services are utilised in most of the clinical trials that require the use of a speciality courier service.

With experience in managing the logistics of over 7,500 clinical trials worldwide, World Courier is the acknowledged expert in handling temperature-sensitive specimens and drug shipments.

Clinical trial transportation services

Every shipment containing biological specimens, investigational drugs, vaccines, etc. is handled on an individual basis by highly trained World Courier personnel.

Clinical trial services include:

• Development of transport schedules from investigator sites
• Site assistance including review of logistics protocols, documentation, permits, paperwork, packaging, budgetary and reporting
• Cold chain management expertise including strict SOPs for 2˚C - 8˚C handling
• Individual shipment monitoring from pick-up to delivery including real-time online tracking with protocol and site-specific details
• Dry ice and gel pack replenishment en route
• Validated packaging and temperature control materials
• Pre-customs clearance whenever possible for shortest transit times
• Permanent availability, including weekends and holidays

Investigational drug storage depots

World Courier’s ISO 9001 GMP-compliant investigational drug storage units are located in India, Russia, China and Latin America. Leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide rely on these investigational drug storage units to dramatically improve clinical trial logistics in these challenging regulatory environments.

State-of-the-art facilities offer:

• Validated areas for investigational drugs and medical devices
• Validated 15°C -25°C, 2°C to 8°C, -20°C and -70°C temperature zones
• Validated areas for kits and recalled drugs in non-temperature-controlled areas
• Comprehensive site management SOPs
• Full-time on-site pharmacists
• Remote computerised client access
• Same-day or next-day distribution to in-country locations

Global cold-chain logistics

World Courier offers cold-chain transport services designed to minimise the number of temperature excursions faced by researchers and now increasingly scrutinised by regulators. Services include:

• In-transit temperature monitoring
• Comprehensive guidance with country-specific import requirements
• Global SOPs for all temperature ranges
• Consultation on speciality packaging solutions
• Refrigerated trucking services
• Expedited customs brokerage

Client cold-chain management training

World Courier offers one-day IATA-approved dangerous goods courses designed specifically for pharmaceutical professionals who handle biological specimens. These courses may be scheduled on-site, off-site or through World Courier’s new distance-learning video module. Client cold-chain management training is now available throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Seminars on conducting clinical trials

The company will host two events for 2009. World Courier’s 18th international seminar on Global Clinical Trial Management and Logistics will be held at the China World Hotel in Beijing (China) on June 5, 2009.

Its 19th international seminar on Global Clinical Trial Management and Temperature-Controlled Logistics will take place in Berlin (Germany) at the Maritim ProArte Hotel on October 30, 2009. Both conferences will bring together leading industry professionals to explore a variety of critical topics including supply chain challenges and success strategies for conducting global clinical trials in emerging nations.