SAP, Roche and Tenthpin partner to create new standard for clinical trial supplies operation

Walldorf – 29.10.2020 – SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that they, together with Tenthpin, are partnering to shape the future of clinical supplies operations and harmonize clinical and commercial supply chain management systems. The organizations have formed an industry consortium and are working together on the new, innovative, next-generation clinical trial supply management (CTSM) solution.

Organizations conducting clinical trials need visibility into demand to ensure supply and packaging availability, especially as the global pandemic impacts supply chains. To better address the specific needs of the life sciences clinical supplies practice, SAP, Roche and Tenthpin have initiated an industry consortium. This consortium consists of numerous stakeholders from the life sciences industry, including clinical trial and interactive response technology system vendors, and will focus on defining and orchestrating optimally aligned clinical supplies processes.

As part of the reimagined clinical supplies processes, SAP, together with its co-innovation customers, is designing a next-generation CTSM solution built on SAP S/4HANA and SAP’s industry cloud. This will address the specific blinding and randomization needs for clinical trials to facilitate demand forecasting, manufacturing, packaging, labeling and shipments of clinical trial materials. Together, SAP, Roche and Tenthpin address key priorities of the life sciences industry by enabling more accurate planning and better inventory management through the inclusion of clinical trial parameters, such as planned and active enrollment rates, into the supply and demand planning processes. The CTSM solution is planned to enable:

• Higher flexibility in the business process to fulfill future clinical supplies demand
• Streamlined processes and real-time data to help leaders make informed decisions on every aspect of the supply chain
• End-to-end transparency and insights into the clinical supplies process from source to site to adhere to compliance requirements
• Better collaboration among all CTSM stakeholders, from suppliers to life science companies to clinical sites
• End-to-end support with supply setup, demand forecasting, sourcing and supply chain integrity, manufacturing and distribution

“This partnership represents a milestone in our industry cloud initiative,” said Peter Maier, president, Industries and Customer Advisory, SAP. “Together with Roche and Tenthpin, we can now address the specific needs of clinical trial supply management and improve business and ultimately patient outcomes. By gaining greater insights into forecasted demand and clinical site stock levels, the solution will help enable faster clinical supplies cycle times, reduce inventory overage and allow informed decision-making from start to finish.”

Please find the SAP press release with all the details here

Related media publications:

1. pharmatechoutlook.com

2. Clinical Trial Supply Handbook 2021 (page 60/61)