• Flexible response to combine & consolidate samples where possible - to save customer's money

• Reliable and fast shipping methods - to meet customer's security and timeline needs

• Specialist regulatory knowledge resources at hand - to reduce customer's risk

• Specialist training documentation provided - to reduce burden on customer's research sites

• Study logistics designed from clinical needs - to preserve customer's study integrity

Biocair were informed of collections by the research sites or by study co-ordinators and would then be responsible for providing a comprehensive service for transport of the sample batches, including classification for transport, packaging, dry ice, labelling, documentation and movement from door to door.

The clinical timelines were complex but enabled various ways to reduce unnecessary cost

• i) by combining collections from several study sites at the same time and

• ii) by bringing separate sample shipments to a central point for interim freezer storage before on forwarding to the laboratory.

Because of the possibility that only a percentage of the samples generated would be considered to be infectious it was important to produce two sets of responses, one for samples not considered infectious and another for the infectious samples.

At the customers request in the planning stage it was considered whether one response could be designed for both, but dangerous goods regulations are legally binding and failure to observe them can result in punitive fines, so after careful consideration this was ruled out.

Biocair prepared briefing notes for both shipment methods in local languages and working closely with local study monitors, conducted training for the hospital staff to enable them to pack samples in the packaging that was provided.

Biocair prepared documentation for presentation to US customs and US Federal authorities with great care to prevent delay to individual shipments. In this case careful declarations to the US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) were made.

Shipment Overview

Consignments were sent using the most reliable air carriers for each individual route and Biocair staff monitored each consignment to ensure that they were transported on time. At the same time we informed US customs clearance staff that the material is on its way. Most consignments were delivered to the analysis laboratory with a transit time of less than 48 hours. All consignments arrived in perfect condition.