When it seems there is no way to get it there, we’re the team that gets it there

A new gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy offered families a treatment possibility they had been waiting for. But at the time, it was authorized in the United States and not yet authorized in Europe.

Getting it to patients in Poland meant solving several problems together.

The therapy required pretreatment testing and clinical preparation. Treatment centers needed the expertise and facilities to receive and administer it. Transport from the United States at −70°C (−94°F) required specialist packaging, handling and coordination.

Then there was the funding.

With treatment costing more than €2 million per patient and no state reimbursement program in place, families turned to charities and crowdfunding. The arrangements also had to accommodate privately funded treatment delivered through public hospitals.

Komtur Polska worked to connect those access, funding and supply requirements.

Then COVID-19 added another layer of difficulty.

Staff shortages and disrupted logistics complicated delivery. At the same time, charities raised funds rapidly online, and a tax relief measure for medicines helped make the financial arrangements more workable.

Despite those obstacles, our team completed more than 30 shipments, supplying treatment for children whose families had worked to make access possible.

The work led to an exclusive distribution partnership covering Poland and Slovakia.

The challenge was never just moving a medicine. It was bringing the funding, hospital preparations and specialist supply arrangements together so treatment could take place.