TNT has unveiled ‘Clinical Express’, a suite of logistics services for the clinical trial logistics market, and has identified Asia as the region with the greatest growth potential.
Targeted at pharmaceutical companies, central laboratories and contract research organisations engaged in clinical research and drug development, Clinical Express offers two distinct levels of services – ‘Clinical Express Exclusive’, a global door-to-door service for diagnostic specimens under frozen conditions, and ‘Clinical Express Network’ for ambient diagnostic specimens.
Clinical Express Exclusive is designed for door-to-door transportation of frozen or infectious diagnostic specimens, and offers 24/7/365 collection and paperwork assistance. Specimens and trial drugs at ambient temperatures will be handled by the existing Clinical Express Network.
According to regional general manager, TNT South East Asia, Michael Drake, logistics can contribute up to 60% of a clinical trial project’s costs. “With our Clinical Express suite of services, our customers have the flexibility to choose the right service level for each specimen, thus enabling our customers to better manage their overall clinical trial logistics cost.”
Drake added that TNT aims to achieve a leading position in the life sciences sector, which includes the clinical trial logistics market, by 2007. “The global market is changing rapidly with growth rates of over 10% per year, and Asia is leading this trend at over 25%. We are determined to develop our market position in Asia, and will continue to build on the investments which we have made in the region over the last four years.”
Ni Sheng Jie, general manager, TNT Life Sciences Asia, said: “Clinical Express is a response to rapid market growth in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China and India where there is a large number of well qualified physicians who are eager to participate in cutting edge pharmaceutical development. Pharmaceutical companies in these developing markets will also have access to large patient populations not previously treated with other medicines.”
TNT estimates that the Asian pharmaceutical research and development market is valued at more than US$2 billion, and that clinical trial logistics is worth US$30 million.
TNT established its first Clinical Express Centre of Excellence in Asia in Singapore in 2001, where it currently has a 60% market share. The other three centres are in Geneva, Edinburgh and Sydney. TNT currently moves over 700,000 diagnostic specimens every year.
