Sartorius and va-Q-tec announce a long-term partnership for the joint development of innovative transport systems for the biopharmaceutical industry

Sartorius, a leading international supplier of technologies that help translate scientific discoveries into effective patient care, and va-Q-tec, a developer of innovative solutions in thermal insulation, announced today a partnership to optimize logistics for shipping bulk drug substances (BDS). BDS are extremely temperature-sensitive and high-value, and the partnership aims to increase efficiency and safety for BDS transportation throughout the industry. This partnership comes after years of teamwork between Sartorius and va-Q-tec, leveraging the companies’ established position and respective expertise in the field.

Through this partnership, Sartorius combines new Celsius® single-use solutions for BDS management with va-Q-tec’s high-performing thermal insulated advanced passive containers (va-Q-tainer). This solution will provide the biopharmaceutical industry with a complete joint platform for the protection of hundred liters of frozen BDS shipments from outside temperatures, as well as mechanical and thermal stresses.

The joint platform features advanced insulation material, removing the need to use hazardous dry ice. Using the platform reduces the carbon emitted during transport compared to traditional methods and helps to make the temperature-controlled supply chain more climate-friendly. Thousands of va-Q-tainers are in operation worldwide through an international network of service centers that maintain and prepare each unit for the next shipment after deployment. Combined with Sartorius’ global supply chain, this network will make solutions and services easily accessible to customers worldwide. By avoiding overseas return trips between shipments, the network will also help streamline BDS transportation.

"An increasing amount of frozen bulk drug substance is being transported worldwide. This drives the need for more reliable and sustainable cold chain solutions," says Eva Lindskog, Head of BA Fluid Management Technologies at Sartorius. "By leveraging our collaboration with va-Q-tec, Sartorius can now offer an integrated high-performance bulk drug substance transportation platform, for the benefit of customers globally."

"High-quality products and processes in the pharmaceutical industry require the dedicated development work of proven experts, especially in the API logistics segment," says Dr. Joachim Kuhn, CEO and founder of va-Q-tec. "We have gained a proven partner in Sartorius, with whom we will jointly set a targeted course to optimize transports and establish excellent processes as the standard."

For more information on these technologies, please visit Celsius® FFT Platform | Sartorius and va-Q-tainer | va-Q-tec.