Brussels Airport aims to play pioneering role in transport of precision therapies
Brussels Airport is conducting a trial project on the global transport of human cells and blood for use in precision therapies, tailor-made treatments for patients. The airport wants to play a pioneering role in this and is also examining whether a specific logistics centre should be set up for these transports, it was announced on Monday during a press conference.
Precision therapies, such as cell and gene therapy, are therapies that are tailored to individual patients. This can be done, for example, by collecting cells from the patient themselves, processing them in a laboratory and then reintroducing them into the patient's body. They can amongst others be used to combat certain types of cancer.
“These are life-saving but also very expensive therapies, which are often used as a last resort,” said Isabelle François, who coordinates the Precision Therapy Logistics Gateway (PTLG) project. Time and temperature are crucial during transport to prevent the cells from dying.
"These are life-saving but also very expensive therapies"
Since November, ten test shipments have departed from Brussels Airport, with another fifty to follow. Human cells and blood material from the University Hospital Antwerp (UZA) are being transported on board passenger aircraft to the American city of Dallas. The cells are real, but they are not yet used for precision therapy.
The aim of the test is to identify all the bottlenecks and risks involved in transport. What timing is feasible, where does the package lose time, how does customs handle the shipment, does the temperature remain constant?
“We are going to measure how we can safely and quickly transport precision therapies to patients around the world,” explained Dimitri Bettoni, who heads the cargo department at Brussels Airport. “This way, patients do not have to travel to a specific hospital, but the therapy goes to them.” It is preferable not to transport seriously ill patients, especially over long distances.
“We are going to measure how we can safely and quickly transport precision therapies to patients around the world”
The results of the test, which is co-financed by the provinces of Antwerp and Flemish Brabant, are expected in the first half of this year. The ultimate ambition is to develop an internationally recognised standardised protocol for the transport of precision therapies. Such transport already takes place, but there is no standard procedure for it yet.
Brussels Airport is also investigating whether a specific logistics centre should be set up at the airport for these transports. This is because it represents a different way of working for Brucargo, the cargo department of Brussels Airport, and for the airlines. Cargo transport is traditionally focused on large volumes, whereas this transport involves small, refrigerated shipments.
It is expected that in the future, ten to fifteen airports worldwide will specialise in such transport, and Brussels Airport’s ambition is to play a pioneering role in this. The airport has long been an important pharmaceutical hub in Europe and has 45,000 square metres of temperature-controlled storage space in its cargo zone.
Illustration © PHOTO Nicolas TUCAT / AFP + © BELGA VIDEO MAARTEN WEYNANTS
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