Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare Supply Chain topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Novartis rep says short shelf life of radioligand drugs shapes distribution plans
Summary
Company representatives told the board that radioligand therapies are made-to-order with short shelf lives (Pluvicto ~120 hours; Lutathera ~72 hours), prompting delivery plans focused on ground distribution within a 15-hour radius to improve reliability.
Company representative Jennifer Duarte described radioligand therapy manufacturing and explained why proximity to clinical centers matters for reliability and patient access. She explained that these medicines are targeted, made-to-order therapies with short shelf lives and that the company aims to move from charter flights to mostly ground delivery when possible to improve reliability.
"Pluvicto has a shelf life of only 120 hours," Duarte said, adding that Lutathera's shelf life is about 72 hours. Duarte told the board the company expects to serve clinics and hospitals within roughly a 15-hour radius of a new Texas site, reducing reliance on long-charter flights for delivery. Board members who raised aviation and logistics questions received responses that the company's intent is to minimize flight-based delivery where ground transport can reliably meet the dosing window.
The distribution constraints were cited by staff and company as among the reasons proximity matters for patient reliability and was part of the rationale for seeking a Texas site.
