PCI Pharma Services expands Berlin cold chain clinical supply storage capabilities

The move ensures the service provider has the capacity to meet the needs of an evolving clinical market

The company has added capacity and several new cold chain storage conditions to its capabilities, which now include temperatures from controlled room temperature to -80 °C.

The pharmaceutical packaging and services provider has doubled the size of its 2–8 °C storage and added -20 °C and -80 °C. In phase two of the expansion, set to begin in FY 2022, PCI plans to add liquid nitrogen storage capabilities at the Berlin site.

The Berlin facility, which is dedicated to secondary packaging, storage of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical therapies at all temperature ranges, and distribution, recently passed mandatory regulatory inspection for these expansions, and it is now fully operational.

PCI said the Berlin facility is now congruent with all its global facilities, helping the company to support the vaccine supply chain and keep pace with growing demands for biologic therapies.

It said the added capacity is well positioned to service small-to-medium sized pharmaceutical companies within mainland Europe (EU), which are conducting clinical trials in the EU, as well as in North America and other parts of the world.

The expansion is the latest in a series of global clinical expansions the company has made across multiple continents and four other sites, including San Diego; Rockford, Illinois; Bridgend, UK; and Australia.

In July 2020, PCI completed a new Clinical Center of Excellence in Berlin following the acquisition of Bellwyck Pharma Services in early 2020.

With the Berlin and Bridgend locations, PCI now services both mainland Europe and mainland UK, which the company said remains an important focus post-Brexit.