World Courier has extended its network in China to 36 major cities, enabling the company to offer cold chain transport services for biological specimens, investigational drugs and supplies to every clinical trial location currently approved by the ChineseState Food & Drug Administration.

According to Henning Voss, World Courier’s director, North Asia, China is poised to become the fourth largest pharmaceutical market by 2012.

“China presents many infrastructure challenges for temperature-controlled and clinical trial shipments,” said Voss.

“Domestic transport companies do not yet fully understand the many international standards at play in handling these types of shipments. As such, the real concerns and requirements of major pharmaceutical clients in China have not been adequately addressed until now,” he added.