A prominent Clinical Research Organization (CRO) was planning a multi-country, pan-Asia study for their client. This CRO has a business partner that they work with for all their projects, using a central depot solution. However, this study required local warehousing and distribution support as high volumes are expected for each of the countries, namely Korea, Taiwan and China. In addition, their business partner was not able to fulfill this requirement. The only alternative available was to sub-contract to different local and unproven service providers for each of the three markets.

Solution

Zuellig Pharma’s comprehensive pan-Asia network across 15 countries has introduced an innovative alternative business model, offering the solution that the CRO needs. SSG proposed to the CRO to engage the "Local Depot Model" that offers in-country depot in the 3 countries mentioned.

Local Depot Model

SSG’s local depot model enables large clinical trial studies with multiple study sites geographically dispersed in the region to be logistically managed from a local depot in each country. Our model provides an efficient and cost effective distribution solution from Investigational Product (IP) supplier to the study subjects in a shorter lead time.
In addition, Zuellig Pharma’s dedicated regional team provides the CRO with a single contact point that acts as a central coordinator to substantially increase the efficiency in communication, ensuring consistency when dealing with a culturally and linguistic diverse region.

SSG’s central project team worked with the CRO and our staff in the 3 local depot countries to implement the streamlined solution.

Result

The local depot model allowed for one single shipment of IP into each country, thus eliminating all anticipated complications associated with frequent import shipments. This also resulted in zero temperature excursions and therefore avoided any waste or write-off of valuable IP. Delivery to investigator sites was completed within 24 hours of such a request with no incidents of sites running out of drug supplies during the study due to Zuellig Pharma’s flexible delivery capabilities. Through a localized distribution model, transportation cost was cut by 60% compared to a central regional depot alternative.

SSG’s unconventional approach and it’s well established depots and trained personnel enabled the CRO to initiate and monitor a complex regional study with the utmost efficiency and confidence in achieving their international testing objective on time.
SSG has since been established as one of the CRO’s preferred service provider and is working closely with the CRO on several regional clinical trial studies in Asia Pacific.