Fueled by Customer Demand, World Courier Expands Its Global Clinical Trial Storage and Distribution Network
World Courier breaks ground on new 135,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Singapore
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--World Courier, the global leader in investigational drug and trial-related transport, storage and distribution, will expand its GMP-compliant Clinical Trial Supply Chain Services (CTSCS) network to 13 strategic and emerging markets, including a new 135,000 square foot (12,500 m2) regional distribution facility in Singapore.
In addition to this state-of-the-art regional distribution center, another new landmark facility in Tokyo (Japan) will open shortly to support this exciting and rapidly developing global clinical trials market. Major expansions are also now underway in Buenos Aires (Argentina) where the current storage area will quadruple, in Moscow (Russia) and in Johannesburg (South Africa) which will grow significantly after only its first year in operation. Other expansions are slated for Bengaluru (India), Lima (Perú), São Paulo (Brazil) and Santiago (Chile), all in direct response to client demand.
"This expansion is client-driven and absolutely necessary to keep up with unprecedented demand from our pharmaceutical customers," says Wayne Heyland, President and CEO of the World Courier group of companies. "Before 2005 when we were first to offer global fully-integrated ‘one-stop' clinical trial transport, storage and local/regional distribution services, pharmaceutical customers had no alternative but to deal with multiple suppliers, resulting in unnecessary complexity, loss of control and disjointed chain of custody. With the opening of our Singapore distribution facility, we will be able to offer these same integrated cost-effective services regionally throughout Asia/Pacific."
"World Courier's decision to establish a regional clinical trial storage and distribution depot here strongly attests to Singapore's strengths as a strategic supply chain hub for companies that wish to tap into the growing biomedical science and healthcare sectors in Asia/Pacific," says Kelvin Wong, Director of Logistics for the Singapore Economic Development Board, "especially in the area of time-sensitive and mission-critical clinical trials. This project will enhance the abilities of Singapore-based biomedical companies to control and manage their critical supply chains as they expand within the Asia/Pacific region."
All of World Courier's CTSCS facilities are staffed by full-time licensed pharmacists and provide comprehensive storage and logistical solutions for investigational drugs and trial-related materials in temperature-controlled settings ranging from -70oC to +25oC, including complete supply chain management using World Courier's proprietary CTM-STARSM monitoring system.
About World Courier
Incorporated in 1969 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut (USA), World Courier is the largest and most experienced specialty courier service with a network of over 140 wholly-owned ISO 9001-certified offices operating in 50 countries. It currently operates the world's largest integrated company-owned network of GMP-compliant investigational drug storage facilities in 11 developing and strategic locations, with two more locations soon to open. With a fully GxP-compliant transport and supply chain system in place network-wide, World Courier meets the most demanding industry and regulatory requirements for managing time- and temperature-sensitive clinical trial materials used in global studies.
World Courier investigational drug storage facilities are located in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, México, Perú, Russia and South Africa. New facilities are under construction in Singapore and Japan.