**Barcelona**: The 2025 Clinical Trial Supply Europe conference highlighted the challenges and innovations in biopharma supply chains, focusing on AI’s role in enhancing agility and resilience amidst geopolitical instability and the shift from ‘just-in-time’ to ‘just-in-case’ supply models.
Biopharma leaders convened in Barcelona, Spain, from 25 to 26 February for the 2025 Clinical Trial Supply Europe conference to explore the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in supply chain management amid increasing global trade instability. The event highlighted the pressing challenges facing clinical trial supply chains in the context of a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.
The conference commenced with opening remarks from Arnaud Dourlens, head of clinical supply operations at Sanofi. He remarked that “clinical supply is no longer about just delivering drugs. It’s also about delivering agility, resilience, and innovation.” Dourlens underscored the need for the biopharma sector to adapt its focus, stating that the strength of supply has become as critical as the underlying science in ensuring the success of clinical trials. He also touched on the pharmaceutical industry’s contribution to CO₂ emissions, which further complicates supply chain stability. Dourlens reiterated that collaboration and the acceptance of AI will be fundamental to addressing these supply challenges.
Following Dourlens, Thomas Thoma, head of managed access programmes at Teva Pharmaceuticals, described the role of the European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) established by the EU, which mandates that companies and EU member states report on critical medicine stocks and shortages. This initiative aims to facilitate drug sharing between countries as part of the Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products (MSSG) solidarity mechanism.
The topic of deglobalisation in the biopharma sector was also prominent during discussions. Carolina Pinto, an analyst at GlobalData, explained the geopolitical factors contributing to this trend, noting a “bifurcation” of global trade shaped by US and Chinese influences. Pinto pointed out, “Since 2020, the disruption [to supply chains] has been unprecedented,” and reflected on how companies are transitioning from “just-in-time” supply models to “just-in-case” models that involve maintaining greater inventories to prepare for potential shortages.
The significance of AI-enabled data analysis in this new paradigm of pre-emptive risk management was highlighted by Colin Shelton, clinical supply chain group director at GSK. Shelton stressed the importance of swift action and effective communication for organisations to navigate the rising uncertainties in trial supply chains. Marcel Walraven, supply chain specialist at Biocair, expressed optimism regarding the opportunities that might arise from these fragmented trade networks, anticipating increased demand for complex international transport of clinical trial materials.
The conference’s second day featured insights from Andreas Schwinn, senior qualified person for investigational medicinal products at Roche, who spoke about an impending overhaul of EU Clinical Trial Regulations. He characterised this regulatory update as “probably the most important regulatory development within the past decades for clinical trials,” suggesting that harmonised processes would streamline approvals and alleviate shortages.
A panel discussion moderated by Fernanda Teles, head of global clinical logistics at DHL Supply Chain, focused on strategies for private companies to harmonise their research and supply efforts. Pierre-Gaultier Delheid, head of clinical supply partnering at UCB, pointed out the need for more accurate evaluation of performance metrics. Conversely, Aiden Smith, director of global business development at DHL, contended that fostering increased partnerships is vital for achieving harmonisation.
Chandrakumar Pillai, an enterprise architect with the European Commission, contributed to the discourse on AI’s impact at the conference, highlighting its potential to enhance trial enrolment through medical data analysis and improve supply management by predicting future demand.
The event drew to a close with problem-solving roundtable discussions. Gianpiero Lorusso, an independent cold chain expert, presented the real-world applications of machine learning tools in optimising supply management, referencing Genlots, an AI-powered enterprise resource planner based in Morges, Switzerland. Lorusso illustrated how such technologies could significantly reduce costs, emissions, and delivery times associated with clinical trial supply chains, encapsulating the central themes of innovation and responsiveness that permeated the discussions throughout the conference.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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