Peli BioThermal broadens dry ice shipper portfolio

Peli BioThermal is set to expand its dry ice shipper range with the aim of supporting exponential growth in cell and gene therapy shipments worldwide, as well as the continued need to transport pandemic-related payloads.

Available parcel sizes range from 1.1 litres to 179 litres and cover temperature ranges of minus 65C to minus 20C.

“Cell and gene therapies are highly individualized and patient-centric, which creates a drastically different supply chain than we see for mass-produced pharmaceutical products,” says Greg Wheatley, vice president of worldwide new product development and engineering at Peli BioThermal.

“This supply chain introduces individuals who are not always familiar with cold chain packaging. Our job is to make easy-to-use temperature-controlled solutions for these applications.”

The company says that its expanded range of dry ice parcels can replace liquid nitrogen systems on short journeys that include a courier. The parcels are available in single-use Sherpa Systems and DeepFreeze shippers, as well as the reusable Crēdo Cube shippers.

The Sherpa Systems shippers range in size from 5 litres to 179 litres, DeepFreeze products are available in 1.1 litre to 8 litre sizes, and Crēdo Cube shippers include 5 litre and 17 litre sizes.

Sherpa Systems use Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) insulation and are moulded with density to achieve the required performance standards. DeepFreeze and Crēdo Cube shippers, by contrast, feature high-performance VIP (vacuum insulated panels) that protect the payload and require less dry ice, lowering transportation costs. Dry ice products reportedly provide frozen payload protection with durations from 96 hours to 225 hours.

According to the company, all three systems are cost-effective and easy to pack-out, compared to other dry ice frozen shipping products. Additionally, Peli BioThermal shippers undergo constant stress tests in ambient temperatures of 30C with the aim of ensuring that the payload remains within the temperature range for expected durations.