Latest news with #2025ClinicalTrialSupplyEurope
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid deglobalising trade, experts seek AI safeguards for clinical trial supply
The role of AI in supply chain management proved to be the focal issue at the recent 2025 Clinical Trial Supply Europe conference, as speakers discussed the risks to clinical trial supply in a shifting geopolitical landscape. Representatives from the biopharma industry and governance met through 25–26 February in Barcelona, Spain, for presentations and panel discussions on trial logistics and technological innovation in clinical research. Chief among experts' concerns was the mounting pressure placed on clinical trial supply chains as global trade networks undergo continued regionalisation. The view shared by many was that AI integration will be vital as companies look to safeguard against unforeseen shortages. The conference began with opening remarks from Arnaud Dourlens, head of clinical supply operations at Sanofi. 'Clinical supply is no longer about just delivering drugs', Dourlens stated. 'It's also about delivering agility, resilience, and innovation.' He set the tone for discussions over the next two days by identifying the major trends driving shifting priorities within biopharma research. Strength of supply, he said, has joined underlying science as a prime determinant of trial success. He noted the contribution of pharma to CO₂ emissions as further compounding challenges to robust supply and successful trials. Collaboration and the acceptance of AI will be central in the sector's response to supply challenges, Dourlens said. Directly following Dorulens was Thomas Thoma, head of managed access programmes at Teva Pharmaceuticals. Thoma spoke about the newly empowered European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) of the EU to combat drug shortages in the continent. Since 2 February, companies and EU member states must report critical medicine stocks and shortages via this platform to enable drug sharing between countries as part of the MSSG [Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products] solidarity mechanism. In addition to addressing concerns within Europe, presenters spoke on the broader trend of deglobalisation in biopharma. GlobalData analyst Carolina Pinto described to attendees the geopolitical drivers of this trend. Due to insular US foreign policy, Pinto said a 'bifurcation' of global trade between an America-led West and China-led East has taken place. 'Since 2020, the disruption [to supply chains] has been unprecedented,' she stated, noting a shift among companies from responsive 'just-in-time' supply models to 'just-in-case' ones based on maintaining inventories to safeguard against unforeseen shortage. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. This new paradigm of pre-emptive risk management should be centred on AI-enabled data analysis, according to Colin Shelton, clinical supply chain group director at GSK. Shelton emphasised the need for quick action and efficient communication for companies to adapt to growing uncertainty in trial supply. Others such as Marcel Walraven, supply chain specialist at clinical courier Biocair, saw opportunity in fragmented trade networks. For companies like Biocair, Walraven anticipated a surge in demand for increasingly complex international transport of clinical trial materials. The conference's second day began with a presentation from Andreas Schwinn, senior qualified person for investigational medicinal products at Roche. Schwinn said an overhaul in the EU Clinical Trial Regulations is set to simplify approvals in what he described as 'probably the most important regulatory development within the past decades for clinical trials'. Harmonised processes pave the way for speedier approval and eased shortages, Schwinn said. Later in the day, a panel discussion on how private companies might harmonise their research and supply was moderated by Fernanda Teles, head of global clinical logistics at DHL Supply Chain. It is crucial to evaluate performance metrics more accurately to this end, according to Pierre-Gaultier Delheid, head of clinical supply partnering at UCB. Conversely, increased partnership was seen as most key to harmonisation by Aiden Smith, director of global business development at DHL. Contributing to discussion on AI throughout the conference was Chandrakumar Pillai, an enterprise architect with the European Commission. Pillai delved into the transformative potential of AI to maximise trial enrolment through medical data analysis and optimise supply management by forecasting demand. The conference concluded with a series of problem-solving roundtable discussions. This included a session on the real-world use of machine learning tools to optimise supply management by Gianpiero Lorusso, an independent cold chain expert. Lorusso used the example of Genlots, an AI-powered enterprise resource planner (ERP) based in Morges, Switzerland, to demonstrate how such technologies can minimise the cost, emissions, and delivery times involved in clinical trial supply. "Amid deglobalising trade, experts seek AI safeguards for clinical trial supply" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid deglobalising trade, experts seek AI safeguards for clinical trial supply
The role of AI in supply chain management proved to be the focal issue at the recent 2025 Clinical Trial Supply Europe conference, as speakers discussed the risks to clinical trial supply in a shifting geopolitical landscape. Representatives from the biopharma industry and governance met through 25–26 February in Barcelona, Spain, for presentations and panel discussions on trial logistics and technological innovation in clinical research. Chief among experts' concerns was the mounting pressure placed on clinical trial supply chains as global trade networks undergo continued regionalisation. The view shared by many was that AI integration will be vital as companies look to safeguard against unforeseen shortages. The conference began with opening remarks from Arnaud Dourlens, head of clinical supply operations at Sanofi. 'Clinical supply is no longer about just delivering drugs', Dourlens stated. 'It's also about delivering agility, resilience, and innovation.' He set the tone for discussions over the next two days by identifying the major trends driving shifting priorities within biopharma research. Strength of supply, he said, has joined underlying science as a prime determinant of trial success. He noted the contribution of pharma to CO₂ emissions as further compounding challenges to robust supply and successful trials. Collaboration and the acceptance of AI will be central in the sector's response to supply challenges, Dourlens said. Directly following Dorulens was Thomas Thoma, head of managed access programmes at Teva Pharmaceuticals. Thoma spoke about the newly empowered European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) of the EU to combat drug shortages in the continent. Since 2 February, companies and EU member states must report critical medicine stocks and shortages via this platform to enable drug sharing between countries as part of the MSSG [Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products] solidarity mechanism. In addition to addressing concerns within Europe, presenters spoke on the broader trend of deglobalisation in biopharma. GlobalData analyst Carolina Pinto described to attendees the geopolitical drivers of this trend. Due to insular US foreign policy, Pinto said a 'bifurcation' of global trade between an America-led West and China-led East has taken place. 'Since 2020, the disruption [to supply chains] has been unprecedented,' she stated, noting a shift among companies from responsive 'just-in-time' supply models to 'just-in-case' ones based on maintaining inventories to safeguard against unforeseen shortage. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. This new paradigm of pre-emptive risk management should be centred on AI-enabled data analysis, according to Colin Shelton, clinical supply chain group director at GSK. Shelton emphasised the need for quick action and efficient communication for companies to adapt to growing uncertainty in trial supply. Others such as Marcel Walraven, supply chain specialist at clinical courier Biocair, saw opportunity in fragmented trade networks. For companies like Biocair, Walraven anticipated a surge in demand for increasingly complex international transport of clinical trial materials. The conference's second day began with a presentation from Andreas Schwinn, senior qualified person for investigational medicinal products at Roche. Schwinn said an overhaul in the EU Clinical Trial Regulations is set to simplify approvals in what he described as 'probably the most important regulatory development within the past decades for clinical trials'. Harmonised processes pave the way for speedier approval and eased shortages, Schwinn said. Later in the day, a panel discussion on how private companies might harmonise their research and supply was moderated by Fernanda Teles, head of global clinical logistics at DHL Supply Chain. It is crucial to evaluate performance metrics more accurately to this end, according to Pierre-Gaultier Delheid, head of clinical supply partnering at UCB. Conversely, increased partnership was seen as most key to harmonisation by Aiden Smith, director of global business development at DHL. Contributing to discussion on AI throughout the conference was Chandrakumar Pillai, an enterprise architect with the European Commission. Pillai delved into the transformative potential of AI to maximise trial enrolment through medical data analysis and optimise supply management by forecasting demand. The conference concluded with a series of problem-solving roundtable discussions. This included a session on the real-world use of machine learning tools to optimise supply management by Gianpiero Lorusso, an independent cold chain expert. Lorusso used the example of Genlots, an AI-powered enterprise resource planner (ERP) based in Morges, Switzerland, to demonstrate how such technologies can minimise the cost, emissions, and delivery times involved in clinical trial supply. "Amid deglobalising trade, experts seek AI safeguards for clinical trial supply" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. 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Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Machine learning adoption into supply chain management on the horizon
Widespread integration of machine learning (ML) into supply chain management by major pharma suppliers is just a few years away, says cold chain expert Gianpiero Lorusso. Moreover, he adds that biopharma companies willing to adopt AI quickly will have an early mover advantage. Lorusso explained the ways in which ML tools can enhance biopharma supply to industry representatives during a roundtable session on 26 February at the 2025 Clinical Trial Supply Europe conference in Barcelona, Spain. With sufficient data training, he demonstrated how ML tool Genlots, an AI-powered enterprise resource planner (ERP) based in Morges, Switzerland, can optimise trial and commercial supply chains for several metrics, including cost, emissions and time. Lorusso likened the use of ML in supply chain management to the large-scale adoption of AI chatbots. He gave the example of Microsoft's Copilot, a generative AI chatbot. As with Copilot, he stressed that tools could act as plugins, integrating seamlessly with existing supply management software and being able to be removed if desired. Accordingly, Lorusso claimed that early ML adopters can expect a first mover advantage. By closely monitoring material needs and forecasting future demand, he said currently available AI can bundle purchase orders for 'quantity discounts' and maintain minimal reserve stocks without the risk of running out, stating, 'You also have a target inventory that you can set in the parameters.' Maintaining steady stock reserves has become increasingly important in the industry as geopolitical tensions cast uncertainty on supply chains, according to GlobalData analyst Carolina Pinto, speaking at the conference on 25 February. ML could also prove instrumental in enabling companies to meet emissions targets, as Lorusso pointed out that through optimised purchasing, suppliers would be able to minimise deliveries and the concomitant CO₂ emissions of frequent, small transports. 'When you do it manually [without the help of ML] – you cannot take into account all these parameters before issuing an order,' he said. According to Lorusso, with six months of training, an ML algorithm can not only optimise the ordering process, but offer order simulations with comparative data on cost, time, emissions, and other metrics versus ML-free purchasing strategies. Lorusso acknowledged attendee concerns around the quality of the 'master data' on which AI is trained, addressing the balance between ensuring such data is accurate and gaining the advantages of early adoption. He cautioned that due to the continuous effort needed to update data to align with market developments, 'the master data – will never be perfect because business is changing, your products are changing, the market is changing', imploring industry representatives to implement ML in their purchasing while quality-checking data used in parallel. "Machine learning adoption into supply chain management on the horizon" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Supply chain uncertainties present opportunities for biopharma couriers in 2025
Despite concerns of supply chain fragility as geopolitical tensions mount, global biopharma courier Biocair is braced for a surge in both the volume and complexity of material transport demand, says key account director Marcel Walraven. Walraven described a sense of optimism in the industry heading into the year at the 2025 Clinical Trial Supply Europe conference taking place in Barcelona. However, stifling confidence in growing biopharma revenues in 2025 are mounting regulatory differences between countries. Walraven pointed to Brexit and the US Trump administration as examples where previously aligned nations have seen pharmaceutical regulations diverge in recent years, thereby complicating international transport for biopharma companies. Speaking with Pharmaceutical Technology, Walraven acknowledged that differing regulations implemented by the UK and EU since Brexit, for example, have made transport of pharmaceutical materials between the two regions more complex. However, the sector continues to navigate these challenges. While regulatory complexity will have an impact on the volume and cost of EU-UK transportation, he says, 'EU-based pharmaceutical companies will not stop producing for the UK market.' Rather than hampering business, he noted biopharma couriers could expect revenues to increase in line with growing demand for more complex and intensive transportation services. Digital transformation in transport is a key factor for Biocair, said Walraven. Moreover, pharma and biotech executives are developing an increasing appetite for real-time data on materials in transit, which is made possible by more affordable tracking technology. As per a 2024 Deloitte consulting report, which surveyed senior pharma executives, there is a desire for more sustainable, environmentally friendly transportation and packaging in supply chains. A preference for road transport over air travel, integration of electric vehicles, and implementation of reusable or biodegradable packaging were among the measures that Walraven said Biocair has taken to accommodate a more green-minded industry. However, he noted several factors stalling progress towards more fully sustainable supply chains. 'On many occasions where we offer a more sustainable option compared to a more standard option, – very often, customers tend to go for the more economic option even though there is a more sustainable alternative.' For example, Walraven said the vast majority of Biocair's customers still require air transportation, particularly when concerning time-sensitive deliveries of cutting-edge medicines such as cell and gene therapies. Image "Supply chain uncertainties present opportunities for biopharma couriers in 2025" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
