The YEAR 2024 kicks off with a unique market disequilibrium. At the precipice of an unprecedented consumer demand for cold chain medicines, pharmaceuticals cold chain logistic industry is grappling with infrastructure and manpower gaps, to fulfill the demand. In 2024, it is likely that pharmaceuticals and cold chain industry will be in a perfect catch 22 situation, doing everything in their capacity to suffice for the medicinal and therapeutic needs of people around the world.
Mettcover Global “Catch 22°Celcius” Report attempts to establish the growth patterns and classifies the quandaries that pharmaceutical cold chain logistics may face in the coming year.
Report dissects the herculean supply chain task. Most thinktanks predict that come 2024, human species will consume over a 3 trillion medicines and over 30% of these will be cold chain-dependent therapies.
The cold chain sector may not have to overhaul their entire supply chain infrastructure. Nonetheless, formulating a strategic plan and a clear pathway forward can aid to achieving rapid scalability without venturing into hasty or imprudent investments.
Report Highlights – Growth Story
Scientific innovations or “New Medicine” are anticipated to steer a remarkable 81% surge in biopharmaceutical revenue.
The anticipated growth in prescription drug sales is expected to reach nearly 6% year-on-year up to 2028, according to Evaluate Pharma’s consensus forecasts.
The most substantial surge in medicine demand is anticipated in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, also knows as “Pharmerging Economies”.
The disruptions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic to the pre-existing lifestyle have contributed to increased concerns regarding asymptomatic and lifestyle-related conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.
Cold Chain Conundrum
The growth trajectory in cold chain products is a given but the insights prove a visible inadequacy to meet the forthcoming requirements and the pressing demands of patients for consistent visibility, quality assurance, adaptability, and swift execution. The mounting expectations placed on cold chain participants demand an ability to achieve this potential on a grand scale.
Life sciences domain cannot simply pivot from outdated methodologies to address these new needs. Instead, it necessitates novel proficiencies and flexible operational frameworks capable of efficiently distributing 100,000 doses of traditional medicines as seamlessly as delivering a solitary dose of personalized therapy.
Carbon Cost of Pharma Cold Chain
Report discusses the extent of the carbon foot print. The findings posit that the healthcare currently contributes approximately 4.2% to the global carbon footprint. Cold Chain logistics is also a significant producer of green house gases and has a large carbon footprint in form of using non recyclable material. Within this sector, pharmaceuticals play a substantial role. As part of their commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, the pharmaceutical industry aims to adopt more environmentally friendly practices. Besides meeting environmental targets, the recent significant surge in gas prices and resultant inflation has underscored the urgency of conserving energy for economic reasons.
Pharmaceutical companies and their logistical partners utilize various transportation methods, including sea or air freight, employing both active (energy-powered) and passive (insulating materials, refrigerants, or phase-change materials) cooling solutions such as thermal pallet covers for pharmaceuticals. The adherence to an end-to-end cold chain is obligatory by regulatory standards. Any breach in this chain could result in substantial economic repercussions, and more critically, endanger the health of patients. While the prevention of temperature deviations is well-managed during the initial and lengthiest stages of transportation, complications often arise during the final segment of the supply chain – the last mile delivery.
Catching The Growth
The interplay between pharmaceuticals manufacturing and cold chain logistics is a primary stakeholder of key human and economic growth indicators; including but not limited to Public Health Care and Equitable Access to Therapies. An enduring partnership between these sectors is critical to mitigate the complexities of the evolving cold chain and effectively harness the projected growth of pharmaceutical products.
Collaborative efforts and an active dialogue between these entities must enable long term and trusted partnerships where each stakeholder can evolve to complement their modalities with the other. The symbiotic relationship signifies the will to approach the issue of cold chain waste and sustainability with scientific rigor and academic astuteness.
The Catch 22° Celsius Report highlights the challenges that we face in light of accommodating the unprecedented growth in the sale of medicines and related therapies requiring ambient and cold logistic solutions. The report recommends an academic discourse where research imperatives are guided to formulate medicines that can increasingly be transported using passive cold chain solutions and within an ambient profile.
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