Get highlights on how the international clinical trial printing vendor you select can impact everything from timelines to sustainability.

Imperial supports numerous studies by writing, translating, designing, and printing clinical trial materials for sponsors, CROs, clinical research sites, and research patients. For this blog post, I will focus on how the printing vendor you select can impact your worldwide study.

Printed materials are important and impactful tools that have proven necessary for conducting clinical research studies worldwide. These materials are often used in unison with digital-based tools such as websites, videos, social media campaigns, and study apps. Printed materials are continuously rolling off Imperial’s presses in the United States and the United Kingdom, destined for sites and participants across the globe.

The selection of a printing vendor is actually a strategic one.

Speed saves more than time

I spoke with Dan McDonald, Imperial vice president of business development. He gave examples of the benefits of using an international clinical trial printing vendor like Imperial. “Speed is definitely an advantage,” he said. “While most pivotal clinical trials are global in scope, the majority of study sites are in North America and Europe. Being able to print and distribute closer to the sites in those regions shaves significant time off the time-to-site metric. This also eliminates the expenses and logistics concerns of shipping overseas.”

Greater flexibility

Dan also mentioned Imperial’s print-on-demand feature, which brings great flexibility to study timelines. “By printing materials nearer to the final destination, we can narrow the window of how early we have to receive the client files for printing and finishing before they are needed on site,” he said. “This just-in-time form of printing allows us to customize materials for specific countries and take that burden away from in-country teams.” 

Sustainability

Sustainability is very important to Imperial as well as our clients, and Dan pointed to the advantages of using international companies like Imperial. “We lower our clients’ carbon footprint by printing materials closer to their end destination. That eliminates the tremendous amount of energy required to move materials across the world by plane.”

Logistics expertise

Even though printing regionally means you’re utilizing sources closer to the materials’ destinations, logistics concerns about moving from one country to another still play a role. Frankie Bentley, Imperial associate director, touted the logistics advantages of using an international clinical trial printing vendor like Imperial. “Our U.S. and U.K. subject matter experts are logistics specialists with decades of country-specific experience adhering to regulations and customs requirements and navigating the many potential pitfalls that come with getting materials to sites.”

The Imperial advantage: Uniform quality and expertise plus best-in-class customer service

Imperial’s U.S. and U.K. experts work seamlessly within a single organization, driven by standardized processes and a robust quality management system. This brings uniform excellence across all of our service lines.

Frankie Bentley added, “Whilst we diligently adhere to all the minute details regarding regulations and customs requirements, we never lose sight of our company’s dedication to exceeding expectations. Our focus is always on providing a best-in-class, truly customer-centric experience.”