Wayne McDonnell, director of pharma and life sciences advisory with PricewaterhouseCoopers, talks about the core fundamentals of supply-chain capabilities today, as well as PwC's latest "Pharma 2020" report.

There has been increased interest in the clinical trials supply chain, according to Michael Wallace, life sciences industry specialist with Oracle Corp., and Arun Cavale, principal with NexInfo.

It's common practice for companies to view cold-chain management systems for pharmaceutical and bio-technology products as point solutions, whether related to packaging, training or carrier services, says Gary M. Hutchinson, president of Modality Solutions. Integration of all those elements, however, results in a "much more holistic system," he says. "You maintain product quality all the way from manufacturer to point of use. Until you integrate it into one system, you're not tackling it properly."