FedEx opens expanded pharma center in Tokyo

The renovation of the TNT Life Science Center in Tokyo has been completed, FedEx said in a statement on Monday. The newly expanded center will provide better logistics services for pharma products used in clinical trials.

The larger, more technologically advanced center will allow for shipments by overseas pharmaceutical customers of investigational medication product in bulk, with subsequent delivery to hospitals across Japan. Following the end of a clinical trial, unused pharma products can be retrieved from hospitals and stored at the Life Science Center for return or eventual destruction.

Improvements at the new center include:

• An 80% increase in clinical drug storage capacity to 3,500 square meters;
• Expanded chiller and ambient rooms with separate temperature zones of 2-8°C and 20°C;
• A new allocation room where the investigational products and placebos can be assigned within the facility;
• The introduction of humidity controls to the chiller, ambient and allocation rooms;
• A frozen storage unit for storage between -30°C to -20°C;
• A monitoring system for centralized temperature and humidity control; and
• Improved security systems, a renovated back-up power generation system and compliance with earthquake resistance standards.

FedEx Express President of Asia Pacific Karen Reddington noted that the region is gaining preference for clinical trials “given the large patient pool and cost efficiencies.”