• Ukraine is re-emerging as an important clinical trial market, but supplying studies and patients requires a logistics model built around long road journeys, country-specific regulations and tightly controlled temperature conditions.
• Mark Woolf, COO, COREX, said the company had recorded a clear increase in interest over the past year, alongside rising enquiries for other markets across the CIS and Eastern Europe.

by Anastasiya Simsek

“Ukraine has made a remarkable comeback over the past year. We’re seeing significantly more interest in clinical trial recruitment there, along with increased enquiries for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia,” comments Mark Woolf, COO, COREX.

The return of companies launching studies in Ukraine is creating renewed demand for clinical trial logistics. However, the absence of commercial flights means pharmaceuticals and study materials cannot move directly into the country by air.

“Take Ukraine, for example. There are no commercial flights operating, so everything goes by road or rail.”

COREX uses direct road movements from Poland or Hungary to reach its depot. These journeys require careful preparation and, because of their length, may need larger shipment volumes to remain cost-effective. “It’s not a quick turnaround, we’re talking several days of transit time.”

For temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, that extended journey makes time one of the most important operational considerations. Woolf said the availability of suitable packaging is not the main obstacle. Instead, the challenge is ensuring that the full logistics process remains within the protection period provided by the packaging. “The challenge isn’t the packaging itself; it’s the logistics timeline.”

Planning around longer routes
COREX uses validated passive temperature-controlled packaging systems offering between 72 and 120 hours of protection. Similar systems are also used by its local courier partners. The three-to-five-day protection window covers most of the company’s delivery timelines, including many journeys into CIS markets. However, transport from Europe or the Middle East often takes at least three to five days, while shipments from the US require an additional connection.

“For other CIS countries, you’re often looking at 3 to 5 days minimum to get shipments from Europe or the Middle East. From the US, it’s even more complex – there’s no direct routing, so shipments have to stop at a European or Middle Eastern hub, which requires careful coordination before we can move forward.”

The planning phase therefore begins before a shipment is released. Routes, transit windows, import requirements and final-mile arrangements must be aligned to prevent disruption once the cargo begins moving.

“The key is planning. Once we give the green light, things move quickly, but that planning phase is critical to ensure uninterrupted logistics.”

Ukraine remains the most challenging market operationally, according to Woolf, because of both transit times and documentation requirements. Every movement must be planned individually rather than treated as part of a standard regional process.
That country-specific approach applies across the wider CIS and Eastern European market. EU member states operate under Qualified Person release and standard EU import procedures, while markets outside the EU have their own import-licence and clinical trial approval requirements.

Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan all require separate regulatory attention, with approvals in some markets taking considerably longer to secure.

“You can’t take a one-size-fits-all regional approach. You really do need country-specific expertise and local knowledge.” While Ukraine presents the greatest operational difficulty, Georgia is described as one of the region’s more accessible markets. Despite its relatively small population, Woolf said Georgia has a quick clinical trial approval process and an established network of contract research organisations and logistics partners. Import licences are also comparatively straightforward to obtain.

Georgia is becoming relevant not only as a clinical trial market but as an air cargo gateway for onward distribution.

“For Georgia, we use air cargo regularly, and from there we can also ship onwards to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and other countries. Air cargo is genuinely key for reaching these markets efficiently.” COREX also coordinates shipments arriving from the US through hubs in Europe or the Middle East. Some cargo then moves through Turkey before continuing into CIS markets. Airfreight is prioritised where practical because of the time sensitivity of pharmaceutical cargo. “We tend to prioritise air routes where possible because time is critical in pharma logistics. The faster we can move temperature-sensitive products, the better.” However, air transport is only one part of the journey. The regional model frequently combines airfreight with road transport, Customs clearance, depot handling and controlled final-mile delivery.

Protecting the final mile
Maintaining consistent temperature conditions across such a wide geography requires control beyond the international transport sector. COREX uses the same validated shipper systems across its network and has imported packaging into Ukraine and other CIS markets. The company also uses temperature-controlled vehicles for the final stage of delivery.

“Critically, we use temperature-controlled vehicles for final-mile delivery, and these are COREX assets, not subcontracted.” The vehicles support deliveries in Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, allowing COREX to retain direct control over the movement through to the clinical site. Most clinical locations in the main CIS cities are well connected. Woolf said COREX handles hundreds of shipments each month, with only a small percentage travelling to more remote destinations. The company is also receiving Named Patient Programme requests across the region. These movements do not generally require extensive storage, but they depend on careful import planning and direct-to-site distribution.

Ensuring every regulatory requirement is completed before dispatch is essential. “Getting that right means ensuring every regulatory requirement is properly met – no shortcuts.” To oversee shipments moving by air, road or a combination of both, COREX operates a control tower in Berlin. It is managed by the company’s Head of Global Logistics Department and supported by teams in Spain, Germany, Ukraine and other markets. The company’s ERP system provides tracking from departure through to the depot or clinical site. “This real-time visibility is crucial for managing the complexity of CIS logistics – we can identify potential issues early and respond quickly.” The system integrates transport operations across different modes, giving the control tower oversight even when a shipment changes from airfreight to road transport during its journey. The company initiated its Business Continuity Plan four years ago and now has a distributed workforce across Portugal, Spain, Germany, Poland, Georgia and South Africa supporting its depot network and ongoing projects.

Woolf said patient support and client services had been maintained through the disruption, although shipments sometimes require longer lead times and more preparation.

Demand moves beyond Ukraine
Ukraine is currently one of the clearest signs of renewed clinical trial demand, but the regional opportunity is wider. Small populations in several regional markets can make patient recruitment challenging, particularly for rare-disease studies. Woolf cited Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and Georgia as countries with populations of approximately three million to six million, while Hungary has around 10 million.

That means sponsors may need to consider several markets together rather than relying on one country to provide the required patient population. For pharma logistics providers, the renewed interest in Ukraine and neighbouring markets does not remove the operational barriers. It makes the ability to manage them more important. Clinical trial growth across the region will depend on routes that can withstand longer transit times, packaging that protects products throughout the journey, close coordination with regulators and local partners, and visibility across every handover.

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