Exel acquires leading European healthcare logistics group
Global supply chain management company Exel has strengthened its presence in continental Europe with the acquisition for an undisclosed sum of the Pharma Logistics Group and its related operations.
Global supply chain management company Exel has strengthened its presence in continental Europe with the acquisition for an undisclosed sum of the Pharma Logistics Group and its related operations.
Based in Italy and Belgium, Pharma Logistics has established a successful business with major multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare customers. Healthcare is one of Exel's core sectors and over the last few years has experienced significant market growth.
Pharma Logistics has expanded from its Italian roots to create a pan-European service, with nine facilities employing some 350 people. Exel expects to accelerate the development of the business by enhancing revenue growth opportunities with its existing customers and developing broader capabilities in Pharma Logistics' existing markets.
'Building on the success of our Americas, UK and Northern European operations and combined with recent acquisitions in Asia, Brazil and Turkey, Pharma Logistics will accelerate our growth opportunities across continental Europe,' said Exel ceo John Allan. 'The acquisition brings with it a strong management team who will complement our existing capabilities and help support growth in the region.'
The company has also built a self-contained European Clinical Trials Cell (CTC) within its fully licensed healthcare site at Banbury in the UK. This, it says, it has enhanced the management and distribution of Investigational Medicinal Products within clinical trial studies, for its Clinical Trials Logistics services (CTL) in response to customer demand and changing legislation within the European Clinical Trials Directive and Annex 13 to Good Manufacturing Practice .
The new CTC provides a segregated area for storing, despatching and preparing pharmaceutical supplies operated by Exel's dedicated clinical trials team. The CTC and its operational procedures provide a compliant distribution environment monitored and controlled to ISO 14644 Class 8 (US-FS 209E 100,000) and features clinical capacity for ambient (20oC +/-2), chilled (5oC +/-3) and frozen (-20oC +/-2) temperature ranges. Ample clean room capacity also provides adequate facilities to include packing and rework services for trial specification.
Exel has also implemented an integrated GAMP (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice) IT platform designed to meet the specific needs of clinical trials supplies management. Exel's Clinical Trials Logistics Integrator system now enhances process visibility and operational control for raw materials, intermediates and complete patient packs throughout the entire clinical trials supply chain.
The company has also implemented web-enabled systems to meet material requirements planning, warehouse and export freight document management, e-commerce and financial planning. These offer unparalleled levels of reporting and control over inventory and works order processing for its clinical trials customers.
'Clinical trials are becoming more complex as related studies are run on a global basis and larger patient numbers are required to satisfy regulatory standards,' said Graham Inglis, Exel's president for healthcare - worldwide. 'Successfully co-ordinating patient screening, enrolment, randomisation, study-drug distribution and inventory management is more challenging than ever. As competition to speed up drug development processes intensifies, clinical trials logistics is a key enabler.'