Clinical Trials Day: Supporting the Journey from Discovery to Delivery 

Each year on May 20, the community comes together to celebrate Clinical Trials Day, honoring the anniversary of the first randomized clinical trial conducted by James Lind in 1747. This day serves as a global tribute to the incredible impact of clinical research and the people, including patients, clinicians, researchers, sponsors, and support teams, who make it all possible.  

Clinical trials are at the heart of medical progress. They pave the way for the therapies and treatments that save and improve lives every day. But behind every approved therapy is a long journey of discovery, validation, and regulatory review, each stage more complex and crucial than the last. Clinical Trials Day is a moment to recognize not just the science but also the collaboration and dedication that fuel this progress. 

At Cryoport Systems, we are honored to support our partners and clients in this journey. We support hundreds of cell & gene therapy clinical trials at every phase across the globe, ensuring that the biological materials, final drug products, data, and insights needed to advance health are managed safely and reliably, no matter how complex the path.  

 

Why Clinical Trials Matter 

Clinical trials represent hope, innovation, and the pursuit of better outcomes. They are the backbone of developing new diagnostics, vaccines, devices, and therapies. They help ensure safety, efficacy, and accessibility to the people who need them.  

They also represent a significant logistical and operational challenge. From the earliest stages of development to the final push toward regulatory approval and commercialization, clinical trials (especially those for advanced therapies) require an incredible degree of coordination, compliance, and care throughout the temperature-controlled supply chain. A single delay or deviation can impact a whole program, which is why every link in the clinical trial supply chain must be strong, scalable, and responsive.  

 

The Role of Supply Chain in Clinical Trial Success 

Much of the public attention around clinical trials seems to focus on exciting headlines about breakthrough science, but behind the scenes, an equally critical effort is taking place in the temperature-controlled supply chain that ensures every sample, investigational product, and data set is managed carefully and with full compliance at every step.  

This behind-the-scenes effort becomes even more complex in trials involving advanced therapies, temperature-sensitive biologics, or hard-to-reach patient populations. Transporting clinical materials, whether they are patient samples, cell and gene therapy starting materials, investigational products, or final drug products, requires not only an exceptional level of precision and care, but also deep regulatory knowledge, risk mitigation strategies, and comprehensive end-to-end coordination.  

That’s where supply chain partners like Cryoport Systems come in. 

 

Scalable Support from Pre-Clinical to Commercialization 

Every clinical development journey is unique, but the need for a true end-to-end supply chain management approach is consistent. Equally important is that this supply chain is proactively set up to evolve and scale as your program advances. Cryoport Systems provides a platform approach to supply chain management that offers the tailored support needed at each phase.

 

Pre-Clinical and Early Development

At the outset of development, we help sponsors lay the groundwork for what’s ahead. Our consulting and advisory services guide early decisions around packaging performance, shipping risk assessments, and shipping lane qualifications to help teams move forward with confidence. Establishing the right systems early reduces risk and sets the foundation for scalable success. From standardized cryopreservation of starting materials to proactive risk mitigation and agile logistics support, our expansive offerings are fully integrated to create a comprehensive platform that sets you up for success from the earliest stages. 

 

Phase I and II Clinical Trials

These early-phase trials often involve smaller patient populations, novel biologics, and tight timelines. Cryoport Systems provides global support with validated shipping systems, temperature-controlled transport, and continuous monitoring, ensuring that sensitive materials maintain their integrity. Our BioServices are tailored to the unique needs of cell and gene therapies, offering flexible solutions for biostorage, kit production, packaging, labeling, and regulatory requirements. We understand these therapies require specialized handling, and we adapt our services to meet the specific needs of each product.   

 

Phase III Trials and Scale-Up

As trials expand to include more patients, geographies, and endpoints, operational complexity only grows. Our expertise in scaling clinical logistics means you’re never alone in managing that complexity. Not only are we able to scale our support of BioServices, logistics and shipping support, but our advisory support scales alongside to assist with shipping risk assessment and lane qualifications for your most challenging shipping lanes in support of your regulatory filings.  

 

Commercial Readiness and Beyond

Moving from clinical to commercial supply requires a shift in both mindset and infrastructure. Cryoport Systems bridges that transition by supporting supply chain readiness assessments, distribution modeling, and commercial packaging validation. Our systems and services are designed to scale with you, so whether you’re planning a BLA submission or launching in new markets, you’re supported by the same trusted partner who’s been there from the beginning.

 

Built for Where You Are, Optimized for Where You’re Going 

One of the most common challenges clinical teams face is outgrowing their original supply chain infrastructure as the trial advances. What worked for a Phase I study at two sites won’t work for a global Phase III program with dozens of patients and evolving regulatory considerations.  

At Cryoport Systems, we specialize in forward-thinking support. Our services are designed to match your needs today while planning for tomorrow, breaking free from the fragmented supply chain approach of years gone by and shifting to a true, end-to-end platform approach that supports the full scope of the temperature-controlled supply chain. With over 900,000 successful shipments supporting over 700 clinical trials and 20 commercially approved therapies, we’ve evolved alongside the industry over the last 20 years. Working closely with manufacturers and sponsor companies as a true end-to-end supply chain partner, we are building today to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges. 

 

Celebrating the Clinical Research Community 

Clinical Trials Day is ultimately about people. Those who participate. Those who lead. Those who support the journey in between.  

To the patients who volunteer, often in the face of uncertainty: thank you. Your courage drives every advancement in medicine. To the clinicians, study coordinators, researchers, and CROs: your commitment and attention to detail bring science to life. And to the trial sponsors and developers: we see your vision, and we’re proud to help you bring it to market.  

At Cryoport Systems, our role is to be a reliable and responsible partner, one that understands the stakes, anticipates the roadblocks, and helps pave the way for what’s next.  

 

Looking Ahead 

Clinical Trials Day is a celebration of the future we’re building together. Each new trial brings us one step closer to life-changing treatments, to cures, and to better health for all. As clinical research continues to evolve with more decentralized trials, more advanced therapies, and more global collaboration, the supply chain needs to be prepared to evolve alongside it. Cryoport Systems is committed to driving that evolution, with the right combination of service, science, and scale to meet whatever tomorrow brings.  

If you’re part of a clinical program, no matter your phase, let’s work together to ensure your critical materials move as efficiently and securely as your science deserves.  

Together, we’re Enabling the Outcome™.