The virtual pharma business model has gradually become a popular alternative to traditional pharma. As an integrated service provider, Yourway offers the logistical support from study design to packaging needed by virtual and small companies entering into clinical trials. Yourway is a large organization that has flexible solutions embedded into our offering, and this nimbleness and agility help us to provide optimal solutions to virtual pharma companies.
The Virtual Pharma Advantage
Virtual pharma companies are not bound to an organization’s internal, in-house service capabilities in the same way that traditional pharma businesses are and can offer multiple services across the pharma supply chain. This flexibility extends to every aspect of the company, from leadership and decision-making, which is leaner and arguably more efficient as a result of a lack of bureaucracy, to the way resources are allocated. Instead of being limited to existent in-house equipment, resources are sought out based on the needed capacity and are meant to be as efficient as possible. This flexibility also extends to customer costs, as virtual pharma has low overhead as opposed to high fixed costs.1
Because virtual pharma companies are structured so differently from big pharma companies, their needs are distinct. The industry has changed to better serve these companies, with contract service providers adjusting their operations to fit the specific demands of smaller organizations. Virtual pharma companies are less concerned with bringing a drug to market from start to finish, and are more focused on intermediate milestones. For example, a goal for virtual pharma may be a licensing deal, not bringing the drug to market alone.2
As virtual and smaller pharma companies continue to provide a reliable revenue stream for manufacturing and research organizations, these external companies have adapted to service them. Companies may take on more capacity internally to compensate for the lack of virtual pharma capacity or they may set up a dedicated facility for smaller clients. Organizations may offer fractional ownership of a facility, which is especially attractive to small and mid-size pharma, and access to a global network to broaden the potential scope of market. Another option is an enterprise model, in which a more established company helps build out the client’s internal resources and network. Larger companies that work with virtual pharma and smaller companies must also target more innovative technology to better serve these companies. A focus on innovation is another long-term benefit for the smaller company and an opportunity for the supporting provider to remain ahead of the competition.2
Yourway Offers Support
With flexibility embedded into our organization, Yourway is an ideal partner for any smaller pharma and virtual pharma company that wants to test their product through clinical trials but lacks the internal resources and structural capacity that is necessary to do so. We offer premium capabilities –– including planning design, drug supply management, full PM services, primary and secondary packaging, storage, distribution, and courier services, returns, procurement of comparator drugs and ancillary supplies and labeling –– and can handle any situation that a virtual company might need to be advised on, especially if this is their first time engaging clinical trials. Our staff are experts in their field and have experience dealing with any type of challenging situation, having supported trials around the world for more than 20 years.
Yourway is more than a supply chain logistics provider, offering integrated services that include warehousing, packaging and transportation across 21 depots internationally. We emphasize the personal aspect of logistics –– as no two requests are ever the same –– and provide fully customized support from start to finish. This is particularly ideal for virtual pharma companies that lack the bandwidth to waste worrying about the status of their shipment. At Yourway, quality is deeply embedded into our organization, and that quality is something our customers can count on. We have the capacity to transport highly sensitive materials and ensure that temperatures are maintained en route to every destination.
We have no size or weight restrictions on shipments, which is key for customers that do not want to be boxed in or have to seek out additional logistics providers, which would decrease timeliness and lower productivity. We work with clients on a one-on-one basis and ensure that their deliveries are made on their terms. This flexibility is a perfect match for already flexible virtual and smaller pharma companies, who appreciate the agility we offer.
On-Call Culture
Our on-call culture means that clients can enjoy shipments 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, including times that other companies do not work, like major holidays and weekends. We use premium courier options from next flight out to on-board couriers that accompany every shipment. We also use private aircraft charters for every critical shipment from start to finish, in addition to road transport, to get samples exactly where they need to go and as fast as possible, avoiding any potential issues that may occur along the way.
Beyond our shipment weights having no restrictions, our shipments also have no cut-off times. In addition, our pricing is upfront and includes no hidden fees. We are competitively priced, even though we offer premium services. With all aspects of the shipment taking place under one roof, there is truly no other company that can offer what we offer or do what we do, as reliably and consistently.
Customs Clearance
Yourway works with a network of customs brokers whose job it is to meet the shipment when it arrives, and make sure it is cleared. We use customs pre-clearance to speed delivery and minimize the risk of any difficulty or regulatory challenges across borders. Yourway tracks all deliveries from a central location and constantly monitors the progress of every shipment, as an added way to guarantee that all shipments occur as planned.
Shipment Specialists
We also employ a team of temperature-control specialists who can service shipments, whether they comprise phase I, II, III, and IV materials, finished goods or the raw materials needed in production. These specialists not only monitor what is being shipped but also maintain gel packs and dry ice so that consistent temperature is maintained, including maintenance of phase-change materials. Our expertise also extends to handling ambient and controlled-ambient, refrigerated (2–8 °C) and frozen (–20 °C to –78.5 °C) products for both passive and active temperature-controlled systems. We are able to transport any type of product — we have the expertise required to ship controlled drugs, sample collection kits, ancillary products, medical equipment and other sensitive materials internationally.
Extensive Warehouse Network
In addition to our comprehensive shipping capabilities, our customers have access to our comprehensive global depot network. With locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Panama, Brazil, Israel, South Africa, India, China, Australia, Japan, Argentina, Slovakia and Singapore, we have a complex, GMP-compliant global network that includes both ambient (15–25 °C) and temperature-controlled pallet and shelf locations. For any small or virtual pharma company that wants to partner with one organization and be present in over 20 international markets, Yourway is the ideal partner.
Our extensive and strategic warehouse network allows the storage of clinical trial materials or drug products around the world. Like our shipping services, our warehouses are able to be monitored 24/7 and are also totally automated. This integration enables materials to be stored and shipped from any starting point to any destination in the world, almost immediately. For the pharma customer — regardless of size — this means lower costs, faster turnaround and reduced overhead.
Not only do we offer warehousing and shipping support, we also help clients with packaging and kitting. For small and emerging or virtual pharma companies, this level of integrated support provides a one-stop solution that is as effective as having the capacity internally.
Primary and Secondary Packaging
Our advanced packaging offering includes both primary and secondary packaging. We have primary bottling, blistering and over-encapsulation capabilities. We are also able to provide any secondary packaging service a customer may need, including kitting, labeling, delabeling and blinding of placebos for clinical trials. All packaging is available under ambient conditions or in a cold room or freezer as appropriate.
Guiding Our Clients
The Yourway team cares about your products and can be thought of as an extension of your company. We have built our organization on offering solutions, and we are there to guide our clients from the beginning of their projects through to the very end. Our customers can expect a dedicated project management team to manage their shipments and stay on top of all orders. We provide guidance on planning and shipment optimization, including regulatory support, and offer additional services, such as comparator sourcing, ancillary supply sourcing, forecasting and returns/reconciliation management.
For small and virtual pharma companies, reducing turnaround times so that business can move at a faster pace is a key to success. Time is one of the most important factors in the pharma industry, and employing an organization that can optimize timelines is key for companies of any size. Small companies can rely on Yourway to provide access to a global network of international warehouses, with full courier capabilities and a fully automated system of monitoring shipments and quality control. The shipment is often the last thing that companies, especially smaller organizations with fewer resources, should have to be concerned with. When you partner with Yourway, you are extending your company — we look after your materials like they are our own. We welcome even the most complex shipments and look forward to the next challenge.
References:
1) http://www.cenrx.com/virtual-pharmaceutical-company-advantages/
2) http://www.pharmtech.com/new-business-models-attract-virtual-pharma
