BRU has dispatched initial test shipments of human cell and blood material to DFW as part of project to establish transport standards
Brussels Airport (BRU) has stepped up its healthcare logistics efforts by handling the first test shipments of human cell and blood material representative of precision therapies, including innovative treatments for cancer and rare diseases.
The shipments have been transported from the Belgian airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Texas and are part of the Precision Therapy Logistics Gateway (PTLG) project, which analyses how precision therapies can be transported safely and quickly worldwide and identifies risks within existing logistics processes.
Following the test shipments, BRU and its project partners aim for BRU to become the first airport to develop an internationally recognised standard for the air transport of these treatments. Options for setting up a specialised logistics centre at the airport are also being explored.
Since November, 10 test shipments of cell and blood samples have been sent from BRU to BioLabs Pegasus Park, via DFW. Another 50 shipments are scheduled in the coming weeks.
The PTLG project was launched in early 2025 and is a collaboration between BRU, Pharma.Aero, Air Cargo Belgium and the Antwerp ATMP ecosystem at.las.
The Laboratory of Experimental Haematology at the University of Antwerp provides the research samples. This cell and blood material, sourced from healthy donors, is transported from the Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (CCRG) of the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) to BRU.
Precision therapies, including cell, gene and radioligand therapies, are personalised treatments for individual patients. As they are highly sensitive, they require fast, reliable transport under strictly controlled conditions, including temperature and lead time.
BRU has extensive expertise and facilities for the transport of time and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical goods, with a total capacity of approximately 45,000 m² of temperature-controlled storage space in the cargo area.
Upon arrival at BRU, the test shipments go through customs control and are stored in a temperature-controlled zone while waiting for the flight. They are then transferred to the aircraft in refrigerated containers developed by BRU itself ten years ago, ensuring optimal conditions during transport.
Sensors are added to the shipments to monitor critical parameters such as lead times, temperature control and traceability throughout the logistics process. This enables the identification of potential risks and bottlenecks across the transport chain.
In Dallas, the material is transported to a laboratory at BioLabs Pegasus Park, where it undergoes a visual inspection before being returned to Belgium. Upon return from Dallas, the test shipments arrive back at the CCRG.
The test shipments comprise relatively small consignments transported as cargo on board of passenger flights. The model ensures that patients do not need to travel themselves, which significantly increases treatment accessibility.
The results of the test project are expected in the first half of this year. Based on these findings, the project partners, led by Air Cargo Belgium, aim to develop an internationally recognised standardised protocol for the logistics chain of precision therapies. Currently, no such protocol exists.
During the test phase of the project, BRU is also investigating the need for a dedicated logistics centre within the cargo area to support the transport of precision therapies.
"With this project, we are strengthening our role as a pioneer in pharma logistics, not only in Europe but worldwide," said Arnaud Feist, chief executive of BRU.
"The production and use of precision therapies in Belgium will increase significantly in the coming years. This calls for a logistics approach in which speed, accuracy and reliability are essential. Together with our partners, we are putting our expertise at the service of this important innovation to contribute to the healthcare of the future."
Coordinating the test shipments are at.las, the Antwerp ecosystem for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) and the Science Park University of Antwerp in Niel.
The PLTG project is co-funded by the province of Antwerp and the province of Flemish Brabant, which support research into a standardised logistics chain for precision therapies.
