As global supply chains come under increasing strain and AI disrupts how clinical trials are conducted, experts will congregate to discuss the path forward for trials in Europe later this month.
Industry executives, regulators, and independent academics will be represented at the 26th annual Clinical Trial Supply Europe 2025 to be held on 25–26 February in Barcelona, Spain. Conference speakers include representatives from major pharma companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
The conference will begin with opening remarks from chairperson Arnaud Dourlens, head of clinical supply operations at Sanofi. This will be followed by talks on implementing the EMA Medicines Shortage Steering Group (MSSG) solidarity mechanism to address medical shortages by Thomas Thoma from Teva Pharmaceuticals and on maximising clinical trial success by Christopher Mogg from Medidata.
Alan Kennedy, executive director of the GDP Universal Compliance Initiative, is set to present on balancing good distribution practice (GDP) compliance with environmental concerns.
In addition, two streams of presentations and panel discussions will take place during the two-day conference focused on operational logistics and technological innovation in clinical trial supply, respectively.
The integrity of international supply chains supporting clinical trials remains the subject of uncertainty as developments in the US, including the BIOSECURE Act and tariffs under the renewed Trump administration, threaten US-based companies’ business with markets in China and elsewhere. In a presentation on the first day, IBM Clinical's senior business development manager Oliver O’Neill will focus on strategies to derisk global clinical supplies while a subsequent panel will further investigate ways to improve clinical supply outcomes.
While exploring global issues, the conference will also provide a look at European regulation. On the second day, Andreas Schwinn, senior QP for IMPs at Roche, will walk the audience through the latest EU CTR and CTIS regulations and their impact on GMP and supply chains.
Another topic amid clinical trial logistics is the incorporation of AI into all operations. A presentation by European Commission enterprise architect Chandrakumar Pillai is expected to shed light on how AI is transforming clinical studies and its supporting supply chains.
The proliferation of vaccines and cell and gene therapies in prior years has also brought with it an increased need for specialised cold-chain transport. Closing the conference proceedings, independent cold chain expert Gianpiero Lorusso will host one of five roundtable sessions covering the central themes of discussion during the event.
The conference is hosted by Arena International Events Group, a B2B events company owned by GlobalData, the parent company of Clinical Trials Arena and Pharmaceutical Technology. A detailed agenda for the Clinical Trial Supply Europe Conference can be found here.
