Press Release

NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS signs strategic partnership with US-based Cryoport

November 27, 2023

-Collaboration aimed at providing cryogenic transport services globally-

NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC. (President: Mitsuru Saito), has entered into a strategic partnership with Cryoport Systems (President: Jerrell W. Shelton; hereinafter "Cryoport"), a group company of the US-based specialized pharmaceutical carrier Cryoport, Inc., to provide the global pharmaceutical industry with cryogenic (-150°C or lower) transport services for cellular raw materials and regenerative medicine products.

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Cryoport is a leading cold-chain company trusted by numerous pharmaceutical and regenerative medicine manufacturers and is a global provider of advanced technologies and high-quality services for biospecimen, cell, vaccine, regenerative medicine, biomaterial and other supply chains.

The NX Group has positioned the pharmaceutical industry as a key industry in the core business growth strategy outlined in the "NX Group Business Plan 2023: Dynamic Growth" and has acquired Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and CEIV Pharma certification for 34 business locations in 24 countries/regions as part of its determined efforts to put in place the requisite quality control systems and infrastructure. Since May 2022, the Group has been providing ultra-low temperature-controlled (-20°C to -85°C) logistics services to the pharmaceutical industry in Japan, and since June of that same year it has offered international air freight services using temperature-controlled containers capable of accommodating three temperature ranges: frozen transport (-20°C to 0°C) , refrigerated transport (2°C to 8°C), and constant-temperature transport (15°C to 25°C).

This strategic partnership brings together the NX Group's global network and Cryoport's advanced technologies to launch a new cryogenic (-150°C or lower) transport service that meets growing demand stemming from next-generation therapies. The new service will help the NX Group continue providing high-quality pharmaceutical logistics services globally to satisfy a wide range of customer needs.

[Service overview]

• Transport service using "Dry Shipper" containers specialized for cryogenic transport (-150°C or lower)
  (1)This special container uses liquid nitrogen to maintain a transport environment of -150°C or below for 10 days
  (2) The container features a distinctive design tailored for transport that offers stability, reliability, and safety
  　　①Its unique shape and triple-layered structure are designed to reduce the risk of damage during transport while maintaining stable temperatures
  　　②Serial-numbered binding bands prevent unauthorized access and theft during transport
  　　③A special disinfection/cleaning process makes it possible to reuse Dry Shipper containers
• Real-time monitoring service using data loggers
  (1)Transport conditions (location, temperature, humidity, tilt, impacts, etc.) can be monitored in real-time. Reliable data is acquired every five minutes using a GPS-equipped data logger installed inside the Dry Shipper, and then uploaded to the cloud via a dedicated interface every hour.
  (2)The Dry Shipper container is available in 50 countries/regions and can be utilized on more than 120 airlines worldwide

The NX Group remains committed to providing logistics support to customers in the global pharmaceutical industry by building a reliable and secure global pharmaceutical logistics platform and thereby contributing to the health of people around the world.