Clinical development has fundamentally changed, yet many supply chains have not. Nowadays making strategic adaptions to ensure secure patient access, control costs, and maintain high performance across the clinical supply chain is critical in ensuring a clinical trial’s success.

Navigating the modern clinical trial supply chain requires technology and analytics to manage increasingly complex demands such as the cold storage of biologics and in handling cell and gene therapies (CGT).

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To enhance trial resilience and success amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, fostering strong relationships with Contract Manufacturing Organisations (CMO) and Contract Research Organization (CRO) is another factor of rising importance.

In this regard, having the right communication strategies between strategic partners in place, and a judicious use of technology than can streamline oversight and realise efficiencies, are just some of the constituents of R&D success.

These topics, amongst others, will be explored at this year’s 27th Annual Clinical Trial Supply (CTS) Europe conference, taking place in Barcelona, Spain on 24-25 February.

The conference will run two streams on both days, with respective focuses on clinical supply logistics and operations, and clinical supply technology and innovation.

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Day one

On day one, Arnaud Dourlens, head of clinical supply chain operations at Sanofi, will deliver the day’s opening keynote on stream one. Dourlens will provide insight into why the old model for clinical supply chain development can no longer be relied upon in an increasingly uncertain world, and what changes are needed.

Dourlens’ keynote will be followed by a session featuring speakers including Marine Degand, clinical supply optimisation specialist – clinical supply chain operation at Sanofi, that will reflect on Sanofi’s interactive response technology (IRT) transformation. Topics will include how Sanofi has leveraged IRT functionality to optimise drug supply, enhance visibility, and drive operational efficiency.

Mid-morning, Maite Montes Vallina, head of clinical supply partnering at UCB, will reflect on the challenges of outsourcing and how global clinical supplies can be streamlined with effective Importer of Record (IOR) and Exporter of Record (EOR) management. Montes Vallina will also outline the benefits of collaborating with experts to understand the key requirements of an effective IOR/EOR strategy.

Meanwhile, the conference’s second stream will get underway mid-morning with a case study on artificial intelligence (AI) from Landry Giardina, global head of clinical supply chain operations, innovation & technology at Sanofi. Giardina will outline how Sanofi is applying AI to support pharma supply chains beyond automation to realise insights that drive measurable business outcomes across the clinical supply chain.

Back on stream one, the afternoon session will begin with a fireside chat with Ana-Zeralda Canals Hamann, associate director of clinical trial supplies at Debiopharm. She will discuss, among other topics, how hybrid sourcing methods for expensive rescue medications can minimise waste, cut costs, and result in the development of a more resilient supply chain.

Stream two’s afternoon sessions focus on topics including how adaptive supply forecasting can help overcome drug shortages, and how data analytics can predict trends and accurately forecast supply chain requirements.

Dr Bernd Steffens of Boehringer Ingelheim, and Martin Waroquiers, strategic account manager at N-SIDE, will close out stream two with a session on establishing clinical trial supply sustainability initiatives.

Meanwhile, stream one will close with a keynote featuring speakers including Michael Hoefling, head of digitisation and automation and Boehringer Ingelheim, on evaluating clinical supply chain challenges across the pharma industry over the next five years.

Day two

Day two of the conference will focus on topics including managing CMO vendor relationships to enhance their value, managing the supply chain complexity of CGT trials, and realising enhanced trial efficiency with real-time monitoring.

A fireside chat with Kamal Amin, head of clinical supplies management at Galderma, will kick off the morning sessions on stream one. Amin will discuss topics including best practices to secure the supply chain, and how best to manage and prepare for risk amid geopolitical shifts.

Topics over on stream two include keeping trials on track, how ‘AI teammates’ are changing the game for study insights, and what approaches can be taken towards greener clinical trials.

Samanthan Carmichael, lead pharmacist for clinical trials at UK National Health Service (NHS) Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Katriona Brooksbank, innovation lead at the NHS Trust, will open stream two. Carmichael and Brooksbank will outline how drone technology can be used to overcome logistical challenges and improve access to healthcare in remote areas.

The conference is hosted by Arena International Events Group, a B2B events company owned by GlobalData, which is the parent company of Clinical Trials Arena.

A full agenda for the CTS Barcelona conference can be found here.

Interested in attending or sponsoring Clinical Trial Supply Europe? Complete the form below and our team will be in touch.