Discover your next big idea for life sciences at PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Experience a breakthrough in life sciences packaging—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries, all in one place this September

Controlled room temperature takes center stage

Sanofi-Aventis speaker points to multiple challenges in shipping medications by air, land, and sea.

Patients should expect to receive quality medicine on time, safe, and effective said Shirley-Ann Feld of Sanofi-Aventis during day two at IQPC’s Cool Chain Logistics Europe 2013 in Basel, Switzerland.

And any medicines that require controlled temperature storage should also be transported appropriately.

With the new upcoming European Union Good Distribution Practice guidelines out soon, a risk-based approach needs to be utilized. Different approaches need to be evaluated to develop the right room temperature control supply chain strategy.

Transportation is more complex than you think. You must understand the distribution chain being used, identify potential risks, perform a risk analysis, and choose the correct transport mode.

One misconception is that most distribution within the EU is by plane, but actually most drug shipments are transported by truck, at least for Sanofi-Aventis.  However, there are two types of truck in the EU, typical box trailers similar to the U.S., and the soft-sided or even soft-topped tautliner.

One test performed by Sanofi-Aventis was to split shipments in both types of truck and run them to the same destination—France to Switzerland and France to Portugal. Testing revealed that the tautliner experienced much more temperature deviations.

Temperature-regulated box trailers were found to be most effective. Other factors that influenced temperature were immediate loading and unloading of cargo rather than letting the trailer sit on a loading dock. 

FDA warning letters surge - is your team prepared?
New guide reveals expert strategies to prevent regulatory issues and respond effectively to FDA enforcement actions in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing.
Read More
FDA warning letters surge - is your team prepared?
Medical Device Innovations Report
Cutting-edge packaging technologies are transforming the medical device sector in PMMI’s “Innovation in Medical Device” report, featuring advanced materials, smart solutions, and evolving regulations. Editors share insights from nearly 300 PACK EXPO booth visits—each product deemed new and truly innovative—alongside video demonstrations of the equipment and materials on display.
Learn More
Medical Device Innovations Report