We provide world-leading, bespoke clinical trial supply chain solutions

Clinical Services International (CSI) delivers best-in-class clinical trial supply solutions by developing tailor-made sourcing strategies for our partners, carrying out proactive project management, and ensuring the timely and efficient distribution of medicines and medical devices.

When procuring medicines and ancillaries for our partners’ clinical trials, we know that delivering the right sourcing strategy can yield massive savings. Our unparalleled access to products manufactured around the world and our logistical capabilities mean we have never failed to deliver to a study.

Our Services

Medicines and Ancillaries

Storage and Distribution

Project Management

Medicines and Ancillaries

Storage and Distribution

Project Management

Medicines and Ancillaries

Comparator Drug Sourcing

At CSI, we take a scientific approach to comparator sourcing based on our 25 years of experience in the clinical trial supply industry. Comparators are on the critical path of almost all clinical studies but are increasingly expensive and hard to find. We pride ourselves on finding the unfindable, sourcing comparator drugs that allow clinical trials to run on time and provide better patient outcomes.

The clinical supply partner of choice

Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and Clinical Research Organisations (CROs) must have robust comparator sourcing strategies in place to ensure that comparator drugs are supplied to all clinical trial sites at a competitive price and without disruption. CSI has supplied medicines to over 1,000 clinical trials across lifecycle phases 1 to 4, supporting our partners with even the most complex and challenging requirements.

We understand that every clinical study is different and requires a customised approach. With the experience to take on even the most complex adaptive trials, we know how to reduce complexity and drive value, delivering sourcing strategies to improve the speed and agility of your study.

CSI delivers results with:

A comprehensive understanding of clinical trial requirements and protocols

Fully bespoke sourcing solutions, whether country-specific, global or hybrid

A global network of qualified suppliers, manufacturers and wholesalers

A wide range of suppliers to minimise risks and enable sourcing of specific batches

Full documentation, client support and supply chain transparency

CSI’s six drivers of effective comparator sourcing

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Our most frequently supplied comparator medicines

Humira

adalimumab

Arthritis

Eylea

aflibercept

Ophthalmology

Tecentriq

atezolizumab

Oncology

Bavencio

avelumab

Oncology

Avastin

bevacizumab

Oncology

Yervoy

ipilimumab

Oncology

Abraxane

nab-paclitaxel

Oncology

Opdivo

nivolumab

Oncology

Ibrance

palbociclib

Oncology

Keytruda

pembrolizumab

Oncology

Lucentis

ranibizumab

Ophthalmology

Stivarga

regorafenib

Oncology

Mabthera

rituximab

Oncology

Jakavi

ruxolitinib

Oncology

Talzenna

talazoparib

Oncology

Roactemra

tocilizumab

Arthritis

Branded Name

Scientific Name

Indication

Overcoming the challenges of comparator drug sourcing

The sourcing of comparator drugs and non-investigational medicinal products (NMPs) has become increasingly critical as most drugs are now tested against the standard of existing care. Despite market growth and development, it is becoming more difficult to guarantee the timely availability of comparator drugs due to many of the products being biologic medicines, which are difficult to produce and distribute.

Working with CSI will streamline your clinical trial supply chain and ensure high-quality comparator drugs are sourced in a timely and cost-effective manner. Our scientific expertise means we can advise on new investigative drugs and, with our global reach and emphasis on quality, you can always rely on us to deliver.

Case Studies

Oncology Products

CSI specialises in supplying oncology products to global clinical trials. We have successfully delivered oncology products to more than 700 studies, from generics to the most sophisticated cold chain biologics

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Comedications

The standard of care for many indications, especially in oncology, is now a combination of drugs that together provide maximum efficacy. Comedications may be used to alleviate side effects or to improve the potency of the treatment. Comedications are common in cancer treatment because of the multitude of biological mechanisms at play in disease progression. Combination therapies play a crucial role in the comprehensive care of patients, from managing risks to creating synergies that give the gold-standard of treatment.

Critically, for clinical trials, the increasing prevalence of combination therapies being used as comparators means more complexity and greater risk from delays, drug shortages, disruptions and compromised supply chains. Securing multiple products on time, and in the right condition, is even harder when each requires a different supplier and logistics solution.

CSI has the expertise and experience to help our partners to overcome these challenges. Our scientifically-minded team has the knowledge to advise on the optimal sourcing strategy for all comedications and combination therapies that might be required for any trial, factoring in origin of supply, price, logistics and shipment timing.

Medical Devices and Ancillaries

As well as medications, clinical trials often require a wide variety of ancillary supplies, including medical devices, technological equipment, disposable products and print materials.

At CSI, we apply our sourcing capabilities, logistical expertise and robust quality standards to ensure that all essential supplies reach trial sites in a reliable and cost-effective manner, no matter their location.

Leveraging our partnerships with leading manufacturers, we can offer significant cost savings on medical devices and ancillaries required to support our partners’ clinical trials, including:

Up to 60% on initial shipments

Up to 40% on resupply shipments

Up to 60% on broker fees (customs clearance)

Case Study

CSI’s ancillary services include the rapid delivery of

START

Electrocardiogram

(ECG) tests

Spirometers

Weighing scales

Blood pressure monitors

Infusion pumps

Cooled or uncooled

centrifuges

Refrigerators

Visit our Sustainability page

Medical equipment

Electrocardiogram (ECG) tests
Spirometers
Weighing scales
Blood pressure monitors
Infusion pumps
Cooled or uncooled centrifuges
Refrigerators
Freezers with temperatures ranging from -20°C to -80°C

Technological equipment

eDiaries
Mobile devices
Laptops
Printers
Pill splitters

Print materials

Investigator site files
Pharmacy binders
Patient recruitment material

Download our Ancillaires brochure

Storage and Distribution

CSI has delivered comparator medicines, medical devices and ancillaries to thousands of clinical trials around the world. Our extensive experience and global reach mean we can advise our partners on the best strategy for supplying any study – whether this involves direct-to-site shipments, local or regional depots, or hybrid solutions – to ensure the necessary products arrive on time, within budget, and at the required location.

We understand the challenges of managing a complex clinical trial supply chain and can deliver to your site, warehouse or packaging agent. CSI’s integrated, end-to-end distribution solutions allow our partners to maintain focus on the drug development process, keeping studies flexible, agile and on schedule.

Delivering for our partners

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Our Global Reach

Warehouses and offices

Our network extends to 60 countries on six continents

Rescue Studies

We apply our same expertise, global footprint and operational excellence in service of global studies that may need rescuing, whether this relates to issues of procurement, sourcing, resource, compliance, quality or timelines. With CSI’s decades of experience in the clinical trial supply industry and dedicated client relationship managers, we are here to help you get your study back on track.

CSI has sourced rescue medications for a range of global studies, including the supply of infliximab, salbutamol, ruxolitinib and mycophenolate motefil.

Case Study

Global expertise with unrivalled global knowledge

CSI is headquartered in London and has offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and Israel. Delivering clinical trial supplies to some of the world’s most difficult-to-reach markets, our experienced and knowledgeable teams have comprehensive knowledge of import and export logistics, as well as the movement of investigational medicinal products (IMPs) across all global markets. Our international reach ensures we can source the clinical supplies needed for even the most complex trials and deliver them on time and within budget.

Locations

We overcome distribution challenges

CSI’s flexible clinical trial supply strategies ensure we can overcome any distribution challenges that might affect the outcome of our partners’ clinical trials, including:

Breakdowns in the logistical supply chain

Slow-paced patient recruitment

Resource availability

Fluctuation in demand

Expiring batches

Our clinical distribution strategy covers logistical planning, imports, exports and inventory shelf-life control, and our centralised compliance team oversees the entire study. This reduces vendor complexity and ensures clinical supplies are delivered within the agreed timeframe.

Project Management

We value clear communication

Throughout the clinical trial supply process, CSI implements study-specific systems to update and communicate clearly and regularly with our partners and supply network, so all parties are kept informed of the status of clinical trial supplies. To aid transparency and efficiency, each of our partners is assigned a dedicated project manager from CSI who is responsible for overseeing the project from the proposal stage to delivery.

Identify

Evaluate

Control

Communicate

Review

Report

Strategically positioned global depot network

International clinical trials require global facilities in strategic regions combined with local insight and experience of a variety of regulatory requirements. CSI’s global depot network spans 60 countries and six continents, allowing us to identify the most cost-effective solutions for any trial supply, while maintaining flexibility and allowing for contingencies.

Secure shipment tracking

All CSI warehouse and shipment activities are tracked using GPS and our specialised inventory system, so we are always in control of our stock levels and can guarantee full traceability from pick-up until delivery. We provide partners with full visibility throughout the logistical process, and our tracking system efficiently flags low stock levels and impending expiry dates. We can also provide, as required, customised inventory reports that document:

Materials

Tracking numbers

Shipment and receipt date

Serial numbers

Batch numbers

Temperature records

Materials

Tracking numbers

Shipment and receipt date

Serial numbers

Batch numbers

Temperature records

Returns, reconciliation and destruction

CSI also handles returns and destruction at the site level. We can return damaged, expired or unused medications to our warehouses for final reconciliation destruction. We produce comprehensive final reports as part of the close-out document of the study.

CSI has over 25 years of experience in developing effective comparator sourcing strategies. We use our expertise to successfully plan and manage the entire sourcing supply chain, helping to simplify the supply process, minimise risk and maximise cost savings for our partners. With our service-orientated approach, our partners benefit from a dedicated relationship person and ongoing support and problem solving at every stage of a project.

There are many moving parts and unpredictable factors at play in clinical supply chains. With CSI’s specialist project management and logistical expertise, we understand the complexities involved in planning and managing clinical trial supplies and strive to mitigate any risks that might prevent our pharmaceutical, biotechnology and CRO partners from operating at maximum efficiency.

We have never failed to deliver to a study

Project Management

Protocol and
market analysis

“A scientific approach to clinical trial supply”

An effective clinical supply management strategy begins with the comprehensive understanding of a trial protocol. This is where CSI’s 25 years of scientific expertise sets us apart from other clinical trial supply companies, allowing us to provide the best possible advice on the most efficient and cost-effective sourcing strategy for any study.

Analysing trial-specific factors such as the required medications, ancillaries, quantities, locations, documentation, timeframes and the availability of generics, allows CSI to present an optimised local, central, market, manufacturer, wholesaler or hybrid sourcing strategy. With experience of shipping to even the most remote countries around the world, we offer expert regulatory guidance, can anticipate global supply challenges, and develop custom supply solutions for our partners.

Case Study

Direct-to-site delivery

For open label studies, CSI can deliver directly to sites in a fast, reliable and cost-effective manner. We work closely with project managers, assisting with trial forecasts to ensure that medication is available at all sites when needed. Our flexible and adaptive solutions help our partners to save resources and facilitate effective patient recruitment and retention.

CSI’s six steps for effective risk management

Controlled transport and storage