DHL Express Japan has introduced a new priority service to provide express import and exporttransportation of time-sensitive medicines, clinical supplies and specimens during the clinical
trial phase of new medicines.Launched globally in June 2009, DHL Medical Express is now available in more than 50 countriesin Asia, Europe and the Americas.
DHL Medical Express responds to the growing number of clinical trials worldwide as Japanesepharmaceutical companies work to develop new medicines for overseas markets, DHL Japan said in astatement.
DHL Medical Express provides time-definite and secure transportation of urgently needed clinicalsupplies via highly flexible methods to meet virtually all conceivable transport needs of customersworldwide. It is a value-added, door-to-door express delivery service with experienced staffdedicated full-time to the transportation of investigational new drugs (INDs).
For particularly urgent cargo, DHL MEDICAL EXPRESS provides time-definite pickup and deliveryeven on Saturdays, to hospitals as well as Contract Research Organisations (CRO).
Customers can ship their cargo in a range of three temperatures divided up in ambient (2-25°),cold (2-8°) or frozen (-20°). To ensure the integrity of their shipments, dry ice and specialtemperature-controlled packaging are available, as well as data loggers that can be fixed to cargoto record temperature data. In addition, these shipments are constantly monitored by DHL, enablingthe team to identify and respond quickly to any conditions, such as a change in an aircraft’soperational status.
DHL Japan Representative Director/President Taketo Yamakawa, said: “As the world’s secondlargest pharmaceutical market, Japan will continue to not only globalise, but increase the demandfor international transport in this industry. DHL Medical Express, now available in more than 50countries for life sciences and healthcare, has great potential to help customers in Japan enhancetheir competitiveness by streamlining operational processes and costs.”
According to the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the Japanesepharmaceutical market is worth about 8 trillion yen, or 9% of the world market and the secondlargest after the USA. After drug costs had dropped due to decreasing prices for pharmaceuticals inJapan, Japanese companies have begun focusing on the development and sale of pharmaceuticals forforeign markets, particularly developing countries.
At the same time, clinical trials in general are becoming increasingly globalised, which israising the need for cross-border, door-to-door express transport, DHL Japan added.
