With the MS Trust estimating that more than 2.9 million people worldwide have multiple sclerosis (MS), new therapies are urgently needed to support those with the condition. [i]
Yet significant challenges arise when exporting such therapies around the globe. Many airports are not equipped to handle large cargo shipments, and the temperature-sensitive nature of novel vaccines means immense care must be taken during shipping to prevent spoilage during transport. While this MS therapy was approved in all EU member states, its revenue potential could have been hampered by these logistical limitations.
By partnering with World Courier, a global pharmaceutical company was able to overcome these challenges successfully and deliver over 50,000 critical MS vaccines to patients in Bulgaria who needed them. World Courier’s ability to scale it solutions for commercial supply chains as well as clinical trials and niche shipments made it the top choice to address the infrastructure challenges affecting rollout of this therapy that can significantly improve patients’ standards of living.
Logistical challenges of the operation
The revolutionary potential of this vaccine meant it was essential for the World Courier team to navigate the hurdles of shipping the therapy from the pharma company’s facility in South America to Bulgaria. However, the country’s main airport in Sofia was too small to handle the large cargo shipments the vaccine needed. The logistics process was further complicated by cold-chain requirements: the vaccine had to be stored within a strict temperature range of +2°C to +8°C throughout its cross-continental journey.
With the vaccine demonstrably reducing the frequency of MS relapses, patients were depending on its secure arrival to improve their quality of life. Working around the limitations of Sofia airport, World Courier’s task was to develop a specialised cold-chain solution that would preserve the integrity of the vaccine right up to the moment it was administered to patients.
End-to-end oversight of shipments
Working local experts from South America and representatives from the pharmaceutical company, World Courier developed a comprehensive, secure strategy for vaccine transportation.
These planning sessions concluded that the best solution was to reroute the shipments via Frankfurt so that the large cargo planes could land safely. Rerouting via Frankfurt also meant that World Courier’s facility in that city could replenish or phase change materials (PCM) if there was any risk of temperature deviation.
World Courier’s ground network would then collect the vaccines and transport them by road to Bulgaria. By having one logistics provider oversee the entire process, the pharmaceutical company mitigated the risk often associated when hiring multiple integrators to handle shipments. Additionally, the global nature of World Courier meant they could implement their complete end-to-end strategy seamlessly while maintaining stringent quality standard operating procedures (SOPs) and without breaking the chain of custody
Other logistics providers could not command oversight of the supply chain in this way, nor support the vaccine’s journey through local offices and depots. With all shipments from South America under World Courier’s care, risk in the weaker parts of the supply chain was significantly reduced and high-quality standards remained universal across the shipment’s journey.
Developing a cold-chain strategy
Reliable international cold-chain logistics might have presented a challenge for another team, but World Courier’s unparalleled expertise in this field meant all vaccine shipments were stored in optimum conditions throughout the journey, even when changing from plane to lorry at Frankfurt. Real-time temperature tracking was key, as well as end-to-end oversight of the shipments to ensure meticulous documentation and handling procedures at every stage of the journey.
With specialised packaging also a requirement, World Courier deployed its own insulated container solution, Cocoon, to transport the MS vaccine. Blending seamless planning, packaging, shipping, and coordination, Cocoon has been designed in-house by a team of experts to achieve exception performance. Its reputation for robustness and reliability was critical to ensure these essential vaccines reached patients in the same state as they left the facility in South America.
An unexpected strike at Frankfurt Airport demonstrated World Courier’s ability to proactively manage cold-chain shipments even during unexpected difficulties. Constant communication, rigorous coordination with all stakeholders, and the proximity of World Courier’s Frankfurt facility ensured that correct temperatures were maintained when one shipment was delayed. This agile approach resulted in every single dose remaining unspoiled, an example of World Courier’s commitment and ability to execute a strategy against the odds.
A specialised global logistics partner
Thanks to a comprehensive logistics strategy and flawless execution, over 53,000 doses of a vital MS therapy were delivered to patients in Bulgaria and beyond. With its cold-chain solution securely transporting the vaccines over 10,000km by air and road, World Courier was more than up to the challenge. To learn more about its logistics services, download the free whitepaper below.
[i] https://mstrust.org.uk/information-support/about-ms/how-common-multiple-sclerosis
