CLIENT CASE STUDY

CHALLENGE

A top five pharmaceutical company was faced with a major problem of not having cell banks ready when needed. Laboratory personnel were spending inordinate amounts of time searching for samples that may or may not be there. Freezers were clogged with materials that were no longer needed, increasing storage costs and making finding anything difficult. Sometimes cell banks had to be replenished, but the lack of a real-time inventories made this process difficult and inefficient. Most importantly, projects were delayed,and time was wasted.

DETAILS

This Company had several problems that were causing delays and wasting resources:

1. They weren’t sure what was in their freezers.
2. They weren’t sure where samples were stored.
3. They were storing samples that were no longer needed.
4. Cell banks were not always available for projects.
5. Inventories were not being updated and banks were not being replaced when used.
6. There was no backup of critical samples.These issues took time away from research and slowed projects.

SOLUTION

ABS provided a comprehensive solution that addressed these issues by:

1. Client was overwhelmed trying to manage their scientist’s needs for cell lines to research
2. Cell Banks were grown by several different scientists, which led to lack of consistency and QC
3. Many of the cell banks were suspected to be contaminated
4. The cell model for research gained popularity, leading to an increase in cell line vial storage requests
5. Storage units became full and disorganized

BENEFITS

This collaboration with ABS had several major benefits for the Company:

1. Storage and labor costs were reduced.
2. Banks production by ABS freed Company personnel for research projects.
3. Cell bank availability increased.
4. Additional security was provided by offsite backup storage at ABS’ secure facility.

CLIENT CASE STUDY

CHALLENGE

A team of scientists at a large pharmaceutical company were spending a lot of time coordinating Quality Control (QC) and shipping logistics, which was not a core competency or activity that would drive their pipeline forward. Additionally, storage of produced reagents was beginning to take up too much space in their on-site freezers.

DETAILS

The scientists were ready to hand off activity that began as a minimal time commitment, but morphed into a larger part of their routine as the workflow became a requirement for more of their pipeline programs.

The challenge was finding a provider that could take on the workflow from end to end, to avoid coordinating different steps in the workflow with multiple partners. This required a supplier that could do cell culture, QC their reagents via flow cytometry, store the QC’d material, and easily handle the logistics of shipping the materials to the client’s Contract Research Organizations (CROs) upon request and within an acceptable time-frame.

Expertise in cell culture, biospecimen storage, 30 plus years’ experience with coordinating shipments both within the United States and internationally, and access to specialized flow cytometry made ABS a perfect fit!

The ABS team collaborated with the client to gain a deep understanding of their current situation and ultimate goals for outsourcing this activity. Together they designed a custom solution specific to their needs.

SOLUTION

ABS Bio created a custom workflow with the client that allows them to trigger the newly outsourced process with a simple email. The client completes a request template designed specifically for this workflow each time the process needs to be triggered. The completed template is attached to the email and the process is initiated. The requestor then receives a confirmation email upon completion.

Now ABS Bio handles the following:

• Coordination with applicable CROs involved
• Shipments to and from those CROs as needed
• Stores and maintains the inventory of the client’s reagents
• Sends alerts to the client when their inventory drops below a certain threshold
• Provides automated inventory status reports monthly

ABS Bio continues to meet with the client quarterly to conduct a business review, where workflow changes or improvements are discussed, as well as plans for the upcoming quarter to ensure the continued success of this project.

BENEFITS

The tailored solution provided by ABS Bio reduced the number of touch-points required to complete the workflow, increasing process efficiency. ABS Bio’s storage facility freed up more on-site capacity for reagents that need to be readily available.

Now the scientists who used to spend time on these important “non-core” activities are free to concentrate their efforts on the critical scientific discovery that drives their pipeline programs toward successful completion.

Additionally, with over 30 years of shipping experience, the client can trust that the experts at ABS Bio will handle the shipping process and logistics coordination of critical reagents and other regulated goods.

CLIENT CASE STUDY

CHALLENGE

Research scientists at a large Pharma company were growing their own cell banks, taking time away from their core research responsibilities. The cell lines were frequently grown without proper quality control (QC) or documentation, which led to the storage of vials that were contaminated or mislabeled. As demand increased over time, problems with accurate organization of inventory became exceedingly problematic.

DETAILS

• Client was overwhelmed trying to manage their scientist’s needs for cell lines to research
• Cell Banks were grown by several different scientists, which led to lack of consistency and QC
• Many of the cell banks were suspected to be contaminated
• The cell model for research gained popularity, leading to an increase in cell line vial storage requests
• Storage units became full and disorganized

SOLUTION

The client outsourced the production and storage of cell line banks to ABS, who also incorporated QC reports with the banks. ABS continuously collaborated with the client to create a customized request sheet to ensure their specific requirements are accurately and consistently translated in detail.All required criteria and status of the banks are documented within a secure database.As demand increased, ABS assigned a dedicated on-site employee to manage all requests and work directly with ABS’ lab personnel to enable clear communication between the companies. ABS staff helped the client organize their current inventory, which allowed them to create and maintain the necessary documentation.

BENEFITS

A dedicated ABS employee continues to ensure inventory is accurate and well organized, which frees up space within the cryo-storage vessels at the client’s facility. ABS stores all details within its secure database, facilitating problem-solving between all involved personnel.Additional benefits include the following:

• All banks come with additional QC documentation to ensure clean,accurate cell lines
• Master banks and security vials stored at ABS’ site ensure safety and control of the clients’ cell lines
• All requests are now processed accurately and efficiently
• The client’s researchers saved valuable time by relying on ABS to organize and store their samples
• With ABS-provided banks and an in-house ABS employee who takes on work requests, the client successfully freed up its scientists’ time for important research and discovery.

CLIENT CASE STUDY

CHALLENGE

A growing company realized they did not have a plan in place to protect their critical reagents in the case of an emergency. They needed to quickly identify a safe location to store them, so they were not vulnerable to the loss of these valuable assets.

DETAILS

The client was generating research material and growing their inventory of proprietary reagents. After some time, they realized there was a need to house a backup vial outside of their own facility in the event of an on-site catastrophe.In addition to planning for emergencies,the company was quickly running out of storage space.

SOLUTION

• Store 1-2 vials of the client’s produced cell banks at ABS Bio as part of their contingency plan
• Store other biologic and archival material at ABS Bio to increase space inside the client’s on-site freezers and LN2 tanks

BENEFITS

After gaining consensus with the company, ABS Bio was able to provide the following for the client:

• Growth and storage of extra vials within ABS Bio’s facility, which mitigates the risk of losing samples for the growing company
• A remotely monitored facility with cameras and temperature sensors to ensure the protection and safety of any critical assets
• Sample safety is ensured with backup LN2 supplies and a backup generator that powers critical facility equipment in the event of a power outage
• An automated inventory system allows them to track samples in real-time,so the client always has reliable,up-to-date information
• In the event of a catastrophe at the client’s site, they have peace of mind knowing that they can quickly and easily trigger the production of new materials (such as new Master Cell Banks) from the stored materials at ABS.