A Grounded Solution for a Groundbreaking Treatment
As traditional methods of radiopharmaceutical delivery lag, our nationwide network of regional couriers keeps pace with the most innovative cancer therapies.
It is impressive – and daunting – to consider all the parts that must work to deliver timely, effective cancer treatments. Research breakthroughs, successful trials, provider adoption, effective distribution … and all the invisible infrastructure that makes those things possible. Reliable delivery is the result of a thousand moving parts. But to the patient in need, cancer treatment is just one thing: hope.
That’s why we doubled down on our mission to deliver hope to patients everywhere. As the exclusive logistics provider for their groundbreaking radioisotopes, our client asked Associated Couriers to mobilize a solution as reliable as their treatment. The first-of-its kind therapy offers new hope to prostate cancer patients – and that hope can’t come quickly enough.
You’ve probably known someone impacted by prostate cancer. Affecting roughly one in eight, it’s the second-most common cancer in American men. For those with a family history, it can feel almost inevitable. And while survivability beats many other cancers, our client’s innovative therapy tips the scales even more in the patient’s favor.
Still, getting these treatments to cancer patients confronts one of the greatest challenges in life science logistics. The radioisotope is manufactured under exacting conditions at only a single facility in the U.S. Handling and transportation mandates specifically trained personnel and flawless oversight. And the therapy itself has a lifespan, requiring round-the-clock, uninterrupted delivery. In other words, many parts must work to deliver timely, effective cancer treatments to our fathers, brothers, husbands, and friends.
“Our rapid expansion over the past five years is fueled by our vision: to make life science logistics invisible. With an integrated, highly trained driver network across the country, we create the reliability and flexibility necessary for a 99%-or-better on-time rate. That means our client that spent millions of dollars on developing an innovative therapy for some of the most widespread forms of cancer can reliably place it in the hands of patients and improve their quality of life.”
Matt Silverberg, CEO of Associated Couriers Inc.
The trouble with complex, connected parts is that a little breakdown can mean a big breakdown. The COVID pandemic highlighted the fragility of the supply chain, and just how easily things can get out of control. Some of those breakdowns persist: between the already stressed infrastructure and pilot shortage, air transportation is experiencing record interruptions in service. Once the preferred means of delivering time-sensitive radiopharmaceuticals, flying can no longer be the only option. The margin for error in these life-saving therapies – and our Associated Couriers standard – simply won’t allow it.
Reliability does not just happen. To achieve our 99%+ on-time rate, we dedicated the better part of a year to logistics planning and analysis. We shortened the time between manufacturer (Midwest) and secondary facilities (East Coast). We reduced dependency upon air transport. And we leveraged an asset unique in life sciences logistics: the most expansive radiopharmaceutical ground network in the U.S.
Associated Couriers has grown symbiotically with life sciences. Our expanding footprint is intentional, connecting regional manufacturers with local populations, and connecting hubs across the country. With each new partnership, new region, and new delivery protocol, we learn. Every one of the hundreds of successful radioisotope deliveries is a data point on how to improve. But more importantly, every successful delivery is an improved life.
When Associated Couriers partners with the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, hope travels fast.