Exclusive Q&A with Bruce McAfee, Director of BioServices Commercial Support
Cryoport Systems has extended its expertise in temperature-controlled supply chain solutions with vein-to-vein BioServices offerings. BioServices expands our supply chain solutions in order to better serve our expanding clientele and the greater cell and gene industry.
There are many facets to our BioServices capabilities, including storage, secondary packaging & labeling, drug distribution, regulatory & QP services, drug return & destruction, and kit production. To offer specificity and detail into the breadth of BioServices, we sat down with Cryoport Systems’ Director of Bioservices Commercial Support, Bruce McAfee, and asked him to answer a few questions about BioServices and how it can support your organization and your patients.
1. How does the addition of BioServices expand Cryoport Systems’ offerings?
“Our BioServices offerings enhance how Cryoport Systems can support the industries we serve. BioServices extends our capabilities into more stages of the clinical or manufacturing operations – from storage, kitting services, logistics, and more – so that clients can utilize our resources, mitigate more risks, and preserve their capital for their life-saving therapies.”
2. How do the BioServices offerings differentiate Cryoport from other supply chain companies?
“Cryoport’s temperature-controlled supply chain solutions are set apart from others by the unique and demanding needs of our customers. Other companies – specifically supply chain companies – are generalists, meaning that they don’t have extensive experience with cell and gene therapy solutions or with the other markets we serve, such as Animal Health and Reproductive Medicine. We do. We have the training, the SOPs, and the credentials to validate our expertise. Our experience and life science focus separates our supply chain platform, and the new BioServices offering gives us additional tools to scale and grow with our clients. As our clients progress through the phases of clinical trials to an approved commercial therapy, we can be a supporting partner every step of the way.”
3. What value does BioServices bring to Cryoport’s current and prospective clients?
“The risk mitigation and level of certainty that we’re able to offer our clients and their patients is of extremely high value. Our clients benefit from our technology-enabled proactive approach in temperature-controlled shipping and storage based on insights we’ve compiled from our years of experience and knowledge of industry best practices. Cryoport’s real-time data generated from our condition monitoring devices is collected by our custom-built Cryoportal logistics management platform. This enables our 24/7/365 customer support team to intervene and save shipments when needed. We also advise clients on specific details like what packing, logistics, or storage solution is best suited for their material or walk them through the regulations for compliant drug destruction. This results in greater risk mitigation and a cycle where every part of our solutions is compliant with ISO 21973.”
4. How do the BioServices offerings embrace Cryoport’s mission to support the life and health of our clients’ patients?
“When a patient is waiting, there cannot be any lapses between the many steps involved in the therapies logistics process. BioServices creates integrated GMP steps throughout the entire process. We make the distribution process as easy on our clients as possible by supporting the collection of patient cells, providing logistics to the manufacturing site, storing the therapy in our GMP facilities, executing the fulfillment process, and distributing these critical therapies to the patient. By extending our support throughout production and distribution, we’re doing more to support the life and health of the patients receiving these therapies.”
5. What plans does Cryoport have to grow the BioServices offerings?
“Currently, we have facilities in Texas, New Jersey, and in France. Our path forward encompasses opening more global supply chain centers containing both logistics and BioServices operating together in a co-located facility. Combining these two elements into one place is a win-win for Cryoport and our clients. It means we can provide quicker turnaround times with less risk when receiving, storing, and distributing these therapies and allows us to shrink our carbon footprint as transportation to outside facilities will be no longer needed.”
Cryoport Systems’ BioServices extends our support of the cell and gene therapy industry through controlled temperature GMP-complaint storage and fulfillment, secondary packaging/labeling, and kit production alongside our temperature-controlled logistics capabilities. For more information on our BioServices offerings, reach out to us on our BioServices webpage.