LabConnect to Showcase Innovative Ambient Sample Shipping System at DIA

Logistics can be one of the most complex aspects of successful clinical trials because samples shipped from study sites for testing at a central laboratory may come with very limited temperature range requirements. LabConnect, an innovative provider of central laboratory solutions, will be demonstrating how its Snuggy Clinical Kit, an ambient specimen shipping system, reduces weight and logistical costs and saves investigative sites valuable time and storage space at the Drug Information Association (DIA) annual meeting.

“Logistics can account for as much as 40 percent of the total cost of a clinical trial, and large bulky shippers are a huge irritant to sites,” said LabConnect President and CEO Eric Hayashi. “Validated cold-chain solutions are expensive, so controlled ambient shipping solutions like the Snuggy Clinical Kit are becoming increasingly important in PBMC and other analyses where high cellular viability and yields are critical.”

The Snuggy Clinical Kit was initially custom-designed for a two-year clinical study of progressive multiple sclerosis.

“We set out to develop a compact shipping system to save sites space and save our clients money while maintaining the test tubes within a very limited target temperature range,” Hayashi said. In multiple tests exposing the Snuggy Clinical Kit to extreme heat and cold, temperature variability remained well within the client’s requirements.

“When our custom kits are combined with our vast network of local laboratories around the world, shipping distances are reduced; therefore, significant savings in logistics are possible,” Hayashi said.

In addition to custom kit-building, LabConnect’s services to the biopharmaceutical industry include routine and specialized testing, biostorage and scientific operations support services utilizing advanced data management and reporting systems. To see a demonstration of the Snuggy Clinical Kit, an ambient specimen shipping system, visit LabConnect in booth #616 at DIA.