World Courier and Savsu partner for cryogenic pharma shipping services
Savsu’s evo DV containers will be available through World Courier’s 140 offices
Hoping to capture a dominant position in the new wave of cellular and genetic therapies, which often require cryogenic shipping conditions, World Courier and Savsu have announced a partnering agreement. World Courier, a unit of AmerisourceBergen, has a long track record of providing express services for the clinical trials market (and more recently has made some forays into commercial-scale shipping). Savsu has been offering refrigerated (2-8°C) and deep-frozen containers, including both dry ice and liquid nitrogen as sources of cold. Last May, the company introduced evo DV 4 and 10 containers specified for conditions to -196°C, operating on liquid nitrogen.
The joint announcements make mention of Savsu’s cloud-based tracking system which, for cellular therapies, offers “vein to vein” traceability (referring to the use of autologous cells drawn from a patient, processed into a therapeutic drug, and infused back to that patient). How this system will integrate with World Courier’s existing Bio-Star and CTM-Star tracking systems remains to be seen.
BioLife Solutions, a manufacturer of cryopreservative solutions for cells and tissues, is part-owner of Savsu, and with the announcement the two companies have locked in a capitalization agreement.
