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Feature
Pharma
Logistics

For instance, in the first week of May
2024, WorldACD Market Data reported
that demand for airfreight from India to
Europe appears to have eased slightly
in the last four weeks (April 8 to May 5)
from the extraordinarily high levels seen
in weeks 8 to 14 (Feb 19 to April 7).
“However,” it also wrote, “on the
pricing side, average rates from India
($3.94 per kilo, +164 percent) to Europe
are still exceptionally high.
Javin Bhinde, founder of Syncore
Consulting informed that to deal
with the supply chain crisis pharma
shippers are taking several strategies
but also accept that it has disrupted
the normal flow of pharmaceuticals.
“Shippers that can afford the high
airfreight rates are sending it by air to
meet the market demands while others
are dependent on sea freight and have
to go through longer transit times.
The shippers are trying to prioritise
their shipments. Only the very urgent
pharma shipments are sent right now.
Shippers are expecting the sea and
airfreight rates to come down even
though none of them are forecasting
the Red Sea crisis to be solved very
soon,” he said. said, “This will act as a one-stop need to keep records of the
The Indian pharmaceutical industry shop for all clinical trial storage temperature being maintained for
is also preparing for a future where and distribution requirements of these clinical trial samples.
new kinds of pharmaceutical products healthcare customers in India. The “These records are very critical
and solutions are emerging which new centre is in addition to FedEx’s in the experimentation phase as the
will also require new types of logistics current Life Science Centers in Japan, deterioration of the sample can affect
offerings. For instance, according South Korea, Singapore, the USA, and the process. The RNA or DNA quality
to reports, India is becoming an the Netherlands – making it a global of samples deteriorates over time. It
attractive destination for clinical network of storage and distribution deteriorates very fast after 72 hours.
trials in the pharmaceutical sector depots to support our healthcare and So before 72 hours, it needs to be put
which will require very specialised pharmaceutical customers.” in long-term storage, which is -20 or
logistics solutions. In a conversation with Indian -70 degrees,” he added.
According to Grand View Research, Transport & Logistics News, Vikas The opportunities for the Indian
the Indian clinical trials market size Pawar, a supply chain specialist, pharmaceutical industry to grow are
was valued at $2 billion in 2022 and is also pointed out the rising number of immense with new countries joining
anticipated to grow at a CAGR of eight clinical trials in India. its global footprint and drug shortage
percent from 2023 to 2030. “Clinical trials are a smaller but affecting major economies. However,
In February 2024, FedEx Express premium portion of pharma logistics. the supply chain and logistics that
unveiled its FedEx Life Science Center A lot of regulations need to be followed support the movement seemed to be
in Mumbai, which it claims “is setting in terms of chain of custody and the weakest link with a lack of capacity
a benchmark in the clinical trial supply temperature control. It is growing to longer transit time to high freight
chain in India and globally.” because clinical research requires a rates. It is in the midst of this chaos
During the launch, Nitin Navneet lot of domestic as well as cross-border that the logistics service providers have
Tatiwala, vice president of FedEx movement of samples,” he said. to prepare for personalised medicines
Express, marketing, Middle East, There's a lot of data logging and clinical trials that require
India Subcontinent & Africa (MEISA) required. Logistics service providers customised offerings.
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