Home > Health > View from the Top

Securing the Cold Chain for Life Sciences Supplies

Ranjeet Banerjee - Cold Chain Technologies
CEO

STORY INLINE POST

Antonio Gozain By Antonio Gozain | Senior Journalist and Industry Analyst - Fri, 03/25/2022 - 09:27

share it

Q: How has CCT evolved to become an industry leader in the cold chain sector?

A: CCT has over 50 years of experience and a strong foundation in its core capabilities: thermal design, engineering, simulations and modeling to take a design and manufacture it on a large scale while maintaining reliability. CCT offers comprehensive solutions for thermal assurance packaging.

Over the past two years, we drove the company to new heights. CCT has been a key player in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy. We have become much more global. CCT has strong roots in the US and we now have teams working with customers in Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the EU. In addition, technology has helped us improve our thermal packaging capabilities.

Q: What role has CCT played in the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines?

A: Several CCT products were used for transporting different vaccines from distribution centers to vaccination sites. Our products were chosen because they are extremely reliable and avoid any wastage of COVID-19 vaccines, which requires the end-to-end assurance provided by CCT.

Our products are not only used in the US but also in the EU, Latin America and certain countries in Asia. Beyond the thermal packaging solutions that we have used for transporting vaccines, CCT also has a strong presence in thermal covers. This packaging protects the product from spoilage and impact during transportation. We have a partnership with DuPont to use Tyvek to package covers for medicines, vaccines and biologics.

Q: How does technology help CCT offer better products and services?

A: Technology is core to our product offering. CCT’s digital platform is already operational and in the next few months we will launch new features and functionalities. Currently, the platform enables us to track the location of the drug, vaccine or biologic, issue an alert if it has been delayed and inform customers when the delivery is near its destination so they can prepare.

We are able to see the product’s location and its condition inside the package. This is a key aspect of patient safety; we know the condition of the product before it reaches the patient. We will soon launch AI capabilities for even better forecasting. This technology will allow us to precisely predict outcomes and act accordingly, providing more assurance.

I am also happy to share that Cold Chain Technologies has completed the acquisition of Packaging Technology Group (PTG), expanding our commitment and leadership in the Sustainable Thermal Packaging space. Packaging Technology Group (PTG) designs, engineers, and manufactures sustainable, thermal shipping, and packaging solutions for the biopharmaceutical and life sciences sector. Established in 2005, PTG is Headquartered in Fall River, Massachusetts. PTG is a pioneer in developing sustainable thermal packaging solutions that meet the strict requirements of its global blue-chip pharmaceutical clients. 

Q: How does CCT continue to innovate within its processes?

A: CCT has really good phase change material (PCM) technology that performs well and is easy to use. Innovation is happening in multiple ways at CCT. We use good technology in our raw materials and have the ability to design our products and test them in-house. In addition, we use a high-quality, automated process that ensures consistency in the quality of the products.

Q: How is CCT helping its partners and clients amid the supply chain crisis across the world?

A: Our motto is to be true partners for our customers. This relationship is built on a close partnership, whether they are distributors, pharmaceuticals, clinical trial customers or any other company. CCT makes sure to understand our clients’ needs and plan proactively according to those requirements.

CCT keeps a strategic inventory of key raw materials. We work with good planning, both with customers and internally. The supply chain crisis is ongoing and it is not static, so our ability to respond to different situations thanks to our size and global presence is greatly helpful.

Q: How do your products adapt to the diverse needs of different life science players?

A: Although we offer off-the-shelf products, typically we work with customers to understand what they are looking for regarding temperature, specific transport conditions or size. Then we optimize the solution. Our goal is to be a partner to our customers, providing them with our technology, design and thermal engineering knowledge to create the best product for their needs.

Q: What does CCT’s footprint in Latin America look like?

A: We are excited about our expansion plans in Latin America. CCT is present in Mexico and is expanding its presence in Brazil. We are growing our team in Latin America, which is an exciting market for medical devices, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and life sciences in general.

This year, CCT will start manufacturing operations in Latin America. Our presence in the region has grown in the last 12 months and it will continue growing.

Q: What are CCT’s plans and priorities for the near term?

A: The goal is to continue accelerating our journey by introducing the best technology, investing in engineering and R&D, innovating and optimizing our digital technology, which combined with our physical assets makes us a comprehensive solutions provider.

CCT aims to continue expanding globally, adding more products to our portfolio and being a key player in every step of the value chain. Creating value throughout this chain, from manufacturing the drug until it reaches the endpoint, is important. Our focus is to be the partner of choice in creating that value for our customers and partners.

 

Cold Chain Technologies (CCT) is a global leader in advanced temperature-controlled distribution solutions that meet the high quality, performance and regulatory expectations of the life sciences industry. CCT products have been used for the distribution of over 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally.

Photo by:   Cold Chain Technologies

You May Like

Most popular

Newsletter