Integrated storage and delivery solutions from Source BioScience provide a reliable solution for distribution of the COVID 19 vaccine

Establishing safe, secure supply chains for localised delivery of the approved vaccine

Source BioScience UK Ltd (Nottingham, UK), an international supplier of state-of-the-art laboratory services and products, is liaising with agencies across England to support efforts to establish storage and delivery systems to safely distribute the recently approved COVID 19 vaccine. The Pfizer BioNTech COVID 19 mRNA vaccine which was temporarily authorised for use in the UK on the 2nd December is supplied frozen and must be stored at -70oC +/-10oC prior to thawing and use*. Source BioScience is a leading supplier of outsourced stability storage with an established track record of working with the NHS and top pharmaceutical companies. The company has the capability and expertise to rapidly deliver both off-the-shelf and bespoke solutions to get the vaccine safely to patients.

“The approval of a vaccine is excellent news,” said Russell Wheatcroft, Chief Operating Director at Source BioScience, “but the logistics of delivery are daunting. We have proven expertise and solutions for the storage and delivery of life science/pharmaceutical products and can efficiently establish the required supply chains. Reliability, security, and safety are crucial, but timescales are very tight. I’m confident our experience and proven technology can make a major difference in meeting this demanding challenge.”

Source BioScience is one of the UK’s leading supplier of off-site stability storage with the capability to store samples at precisely controlled temperatures ranging from 40oC down to -196oC. The company’s state-of-the-art storage facility in Rochdale offers 21 CFR part11 compliant data logging, an independent power supply, established quality systems and controlled access. Home Office approved for the storage of schedule 1 to 5 drugs it is ISO:9001:2015, cGMP/HPRA/FDA** compliant and regularly audited. Beyond storage, Source BioScience works with an established network of couriers to ship samples throughout the country and the world. As a manufacturer of environmental and refrigerated storage units the company is also well-positioned to put in place the facilities that will be needed at the point of vaccine distribution, at each vaccination centre.

“We’ve been successfully delivering reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) COVID19 testing since April,” said Russell Wheatcroft, “for the Dept of Health and Social Care, to support the NHS and the Lighthouse Laboratories, for private healthcare, and for private clients both for employee and Fit to Fly certification (for overseas travel). Now we can make a further contribution. We look forward to working productively and efficiently with those involved in vaccine distribution to support the massive effort that will be required to safeguard the population.”

* ‘MHRA grants temporary authorisation for Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine’ Pfizer news release, 2nd Dec 2020. Available to view here.

** cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)/HPRA (Health Products Regulatory Authority)/FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Contact us at covid@sourcebioscience.com for more information on our complete end-to-end vaccine services.