SkyCell launches new 1500F container for -20°C pharma transport

February 22, 2021: SkyCell, the manufacturer of temperature-controlled hybrid containers for the pharmaceutical industry, has developed the new 1500F container, the eighth container in its product suite covering all temperature ranges for high-value pharmaceutical product transportation.

The 1500F, which works across temperatures from minus 15° Celsius to minus 25° Celsius, offers a specialised solution for this growing niche market segment.

SkyCell’s solution maintains a steady temperature of minus 15° Celsius to minus 25° Celsius for more than 120 hours without recharging, enabling between 2 and 3 million vials to be transported in a single aircraft.

This container, built on SkyCell’s platform approach, has strong performance capability and a lightweight design (470kg). The efficient design also leads to a reduction of CO2 emissions by as much as half, as the containers are built from a recyclable multi-layer material. This material absorbs impact and dampens the vibrations from aircraft and trucks that are - along with excursions outside optimal temperature range - a leading cause of in-transit product spoilage. This has led the company to have a verified product loss rate of less than 0.1 percent.

Nico Ros, CTO and co-founder at SkyCell, said, “Pharma clients not only want high-quality products and ease of use, but they want the consistency of being able to use the same supplier. Therefore, when it became clear there would be a need for a container operating in this temperature range, we set out to build it to offer our clients all temperature ranges. We worked with Ansys’ advanced AI software to calculate the most efficient design while maintaining our laser-sharp focus on safety - both in terms of protecting the viability of the product and when it comes to the container itself. This new offering means we now have containers specifically designed for every temperature range, ensuring current and yet-to-be-developed vaccines and other lifesaving medicines can reach destinations around the world safely, securely, and with minimal product loss.”

Richard Ettl, CEO and Co-Founder of SkyCell, comments: “Our new 1500F container is no different, and allows pharma companies to ship more safely their APIs and finished products in this underserved growing market segment while optimising supply chains using data to predict and control risk. SkyCell has deep experience in creating safe and efficient pharmaceutical container solutions that protect from temperature excursions, mishandling and unexpected disruptions in the current environment.”

SkyCell is expected to produce 70-100 units of the 1500F container per month, which, for example, could conceivably deliver enough vaccines to vaccinate a country like Switzerland in one month. The design of the 1500F container means it can maintain a stable internal temperature despite what might be happening externally. Additionally, thanks to advanced CAD design and SkyCell technology the containers can store up to five times more energy than traditional solutions, helping to keep the container at a steady temperature for more than 120h.

The container is also easy to handle, with no extra equipment needed - only a pallet jacket is required to load the container onto a truck. Loading the container itself is an almost effortless six-step process: open, close, load goods, close, and ship.