Tennessee supply chain firm Cryoport has formed a multi-year alliance with Medipal, a Japanese pharma wholesaler and distributor, to create an integrated regenerative medicine supply chain in Japan.
 
The partnership aims to provide integrated, end-to-end distribution for specialty cell and gene therapies that demand stringent temperature control, track-and-trace systems and global distribution. To meet demand from the increasing number of cell and gene therapies in development and expected to launch in coming years, this alliance will combine both companies’ strengths to realise reliable and seamless distribution services for biopharmaceutical companies in Japan and the Asia-Pacific.
 
“Cryoport’s Chain of Compliance complete suite of technologies and informatics are trusted by biopharmaceutical companies worldwide,” said Jerrell Shelton, CEO of Cryoport. “We use SmartPak condition monitoring system and Cryoportal technologies to monitor the conditions of cell and gene therapies in real time from the time of packing through transit to unpacking thereby significantly mitigating potential risks. We look forward to this alliance with Medipal and to growing together in the cell and gene therapy space in Japan and globally.”
 
Cryoport supports over 465 clinical trials globally, and multiple cell and gene therapies in commercial distribution. Its suite of temperature-controlled products for the life sciences industry lets users monitor their shipments and track the conditions, location and courier handling of their biological commodities in transit around the clock. And should a problem occur that warrants intervention, Cryoport can deploy intervention capability to mitigate the situation.
 
Medipal distributes specialty products in the healthcare industry across a broad range of temperatures, from -196 to +37˚C, with strict temperature control and traceability. Its Specialty Drug Distribution Unit (SDDU) is a long-life shipping unit using liquid nitrogen in liquid phase for ultra-low temperature logistics.
 
Medipal has positioned itself in cell and gene therapy product logistics in Japan. The goal of the partnership is to provide fully integrated methods that reduce risk and improve certainty for the companies’ Japan and global clients and build business revenue for both Medipal and Cryoport.
 
“This alliance with Cryoport will enable our two companies to seamlessly provide an integrated, high-quality logistics service in the Japanese market, as well as overseas, complementing each other’s strengths,” said Shuichi Watanabe, Medipal CEO. “We also believe that this alliance will accelerate our progress to satisfy unmet medical needs, both domestically and internationally, and it will help patients awaiting new treatment options, as well as the treating physicians.”
 
Cryoport serves the biopharma, reproductive medicine and animal health markets through its purpose-built, proprietary Cryoport Express Shippers, Cryoportal information technology, validated global logistics centres, smart and sustainable temperature-controlled logistics, and biostorage and biobanking services.