Supply Chain Challenges in Regenerative Medicine

FREMONT, CA: In the human body, the liver is the only organ that is capable of spontaneously regenerating itself even after severe injuries. However, it is expected that other organs may also be capable of repairing on its own in the future with the help of advanced technology. Regenerative medicine is one such promising advancement in the field of medicine. The Medical Research Council defines regenerative medicine as an interdisciplinary field that seeks to develop the science and tools that can help repair or replace damaged or diseased human cells or tissues to restore normal function. 

Regenerative medicine offers the potential to cure deadly diseases which were once considered incurable. However, little sources have, so far, been allocated to the management and delivery of these medicines because it is either customized or tailored to a particular donor-recipient, unlike many mass-market medicines.

The distribution of regenerative medicine therapies is further complicated by the fact that they are also extremely sensitive to exogenous factors like time and temperature. Therefore, there are strict conditions under which these therapies must be transported and received. Advanced IT solutions are working to solve the problems in the supply chain which ensures end-to end traceability across the pharma supply chain. The clinicians can access the progress of the therapies and their distribution in real-time and allow users to automatically schedule material collection in line with manufacturing capacity, helping to keep the supply chain as agile as possible and avoid costly wastage.

While there are several challenges in the supply chain of regenerative medicine, it holds the promise of extending the body’s natural ability to replenish, replace and rejuvenate itself. If the global health industry can work collaboratively on overcoming the challenges, there is a possibility for a  dramatic extension of the human healthspan.