PLUSS Advanced Technologies (PLUSS) in collaboration with Apollo Supply Chain (part of the Apollo International Group), has set up a 20,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility in Hyderabad, for packaging boxes for temperature sensitive vaccines, pharmaceuticals and biologics. The boxes maintain inside-temperature without electricity at desired levels for over 4 days, using ‘phase change materials’ technology. The facility has the capacity to condition boxes for transporting equivalent of 3 to 5 million vaccine doses per month, and will cater to the various vaccine and pharma manufacturers in and around Hyderabad.
“With the installation of this facility, the burden of creating a cold chain logistics infrastructure for pharmaceutical companies can be reduced. It also allows optimal use of resources between companies and gels with the PLUSS goals of being ‘Plusstainable’ – the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising on the requirements of the future. Shared resources always make a lot of sense, in the long run it reduces costs and expenses for everyone in the endeavour to increase access to temperature sensitive healthcare products. The boxes come pre-fitted with temperature sensors and monitoring of temperature is seamless,” said Samit Jain, CEO, PLUSS.
Raaja Kanwar, VC & MD, Apollo LogiSolutions said, “This facility addresses the obligation on pharmaceutical companies to create a cold-chain supply infrastructure for the vaccines. Proper maintenance of cold-chain is an essential component towards product integrity, be it pharma or edibles, and providing such a service is part of our mantra of serving customers with any logistics service that they may require It’s a proud moment for everyone at Apollo LogiSolutions and it will be our all-time endeavour to introduce innovative technologies, tools and operational excellence to streamline the fragmented sector, make it future ready and drive better efficiency.”
The temperature sensitive boxes, called Celsure™ boxes, are customizable and can maintain temperature from -70°C to +30°C, in 35 different ranges. The boxes are also used to transport Covid-19 vaccines, which require temperatures in the range +15°C to +25°C, -15°C to -25°C, and +2°C to +8°C. The Celsure box serves as a better and safer alternative to dry ice and conventional ice-packs, and brings about operational and cost efficiency in transporting temperature sensitive cargo, including pharmaceutical products, vaccines and foodstuff.
PLUSS has partnered with pharmaceutical companies across India for transporting their products using Celsure boxes, and also exports Celsure boxes and its ‘phase change materials’ to pharma packaging suppliers in Europe and USA. PLUSS has received a patent for the Celsure box from the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office in Germany, and has applied for a patent in India, Singapore and Brazil.
PLUSS’s ‘phase change materials’ technology-based solutions have received awards for applications in buildings, refrigeration and logistics, in India and abroad. The solutions also help in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 7, 9 and 13 –– access to affordable & clean energy; promoting industry, innovation & infrastructure; and climate action.
