Accelerating Clinical Trials with Local & Global Support

In today’s interconnected clinical research environment, speed and proximity are not luxuries, they are necessities. Sponsors need partners who can move as quickly as their programs demand, while also providing the reach and expertise to execute on a global scale. For emerging biotechs in particular, the ability to access localized support without sacrificing global capability can make the difference between a study that advances on schedule and one that stalls in operational complexity.

Consider a young biotech preparing its first-in-human trial. The team has strong science and a clear strategy but limited internal infrastructure and a lean operations group. Without a local partner, the company faces a daunting list of logistical hurdles: packaging and labeling investigational product, managing temperature-sensitive shipments, coordinating with sites, and preparing for regulatory reviews, all while trying to keep pace with aggressive investor expectations. By leveraging SanaClis’ Ventura, California facility, that same biotech can access end-to-end support close to home, reducing lead times, simplifying collaboration, and freeing its internal team to focus on strategy and science. And as the program grows, the company can seamlessly tap into SanaClis’ global network, scaling from a single-state study to a multi-country program without switching vendors or rebuilding processes from scratch.

SanaClis’ Ventura facility was designed to meet this need: offering the agility of a local partner combined with the strength and integration of a global CRO and supply chain organization. This dual role — localized execution coupled with international reach — creates a foundation for sponsors to accelerate timelines, reduce risk, and build scalable strategies for global development.

Strategic Rationale for California

The decision to establish a major facility in Ventura, California, was driven by a careful analysis of where sponsors and patients are and what they need most. Nearly 40% of the U.S. biopharma industry is concentrated in California, particularly along the West Coast corridor stretching from San Diego to the Bay Area. For sponsors in these hubs, proximity to a clinical supply chain partner translates directly into shorter lead times, easier collaboration, and greater operational flexibility.

The location also provides critical advantages for patient-focused logistics. California is home to a large and diverse population actively participating in clinical research, making it an important recruitment region for a wide range of therapeutic areas. Being closer to these patients means faster, more reliable delivery of investigational products and trial materials, supporting the timely initiation and smooth execution of studies.

Weather and geography also played a role in the decision. While many competitors cluster on the East Coast, unpredictable weather patterns in that region often disrupt shipping and delay timelines. Ventura offers a more stable climate, reducing the risk of weather-related interruptions and providing a dependable base for both domestic and global distribution.

By situating a high-capacity facility in a region underserved by clinical supply infrastructure, SanaClis created a unique advantage for its clients: localized support in one of the world’s busiest life sciences markets, seamlessly connected to a global network capable of supporting the most complex, multi-country programs.

Facility Capabilities and Vision

The Ventura facility was built to do more than meet immediate operational needs. It was designed as a scalable, future-ready hub to support sponsors at every stage of their development journey. At 45,000 square feet, the depot offers full-spectrum storage capabilities, from ambient to ultra-low temperatures, ensuring that materials for even the most sensitive therapies are managed under stringent conditions. Packaging, labeling, and kitting services are handled on-site, allowing sponsors to streamline workflows and reduce the risk of errors or delays that can arise when multiple vendors are involved. Now fully operational, the depot is supported by advanced software and security systems that ensure seamless, compliant management of materials at every step.

Beyond its core services, the facility was deliberately designed with growth in mind. Within its existing footprint is space reserved for future capabilities, including sterile manufacturing or specialized laboratory services, enabling SanaClis to expand in step with sponsor demand. This forward-looking approach ensures that the facility remains a relevant and valuable asset as the clinical research landscape evolves. The site is led by industry veteran Brian Capella, whose two decades of experience, including leadership roles at Amgen, bring deep operational expertise and credibility to the U.S. operation.

The Ventura depot is also positioned as a hub for innovation. Plans are already in motion to dedicate part of the adjacent space to pilot projects that explore new models of decentralized trials, advanced tracking technologies, and patient-centric delivery solutions. These efforts reflect SanaClis’ commitment to not only meet the current needs of sponsors but also anticipate and enable the future of clinical research.

By combining robust current capabilities with a vision for continuous evolution, the Ventura facility serves as both a reliable operational base and a platform for growth, ensuring sponsors have the infrastructure and expertise they need to move quickly and confidently at every stage of their programs.

 Value for Emerging Biotechs

For emerging biotechs, the Ventura facility goes beyond mere logistical convenience to provide a comprehensive bridge between lean internal resources and the complex demands of clinical execution. Smaller companies often face significant hurdles in preparing for trials: sourcing packaging and labeling services, coordinating temperature-controlled shipments, and navigating regulatory requirements, all while keeping tight control over limited budgets and timelines.

By working with a local, full-service partner, these sponsors gain immediate access to end-to-end supply chain support without the need to build internal teams or manage multiple vendors. The ability to collaborate face to face — whether reviewing packaging designs, overseeing kit preparation, or troubleshooting operational questions — shortens decision-making cycles and reduces the risk of errors. For companies running their first studies, this close proximity and high-touch support can be the difference between a smooth launch and a costly delay.

Just as importantly, this local relationship scales seamlessly as the sponsor grows. A company that begins with a single-site, early-phase study can later expand into multi-state or even global programs without switching providers. The same team that supported the initial trial remains engaged, carrying forward critical institutional knowledge and ensuring continuity as the scope of the partnership expands.

For smaller biotechs, this combination of localized agility and scalable global reach transforms clinical supply from a daunting challenge into a strategic asset that enables them to stay focused on their science while moving programs forward efficiently and confidently.

Seamless Global Integration

While the Ventura facility provides localized agility, its true strength lies in how seamlessly it integrates into SanaClis’ global network. Sponsors don’t just gain a regional partner; they gain access to a fully harmonized infrastructure that spans multiple continents, ensuring that every trial, no matter the geography, is executed with the same quality, precision, and transparency.

Central to this model are SanaClis’ two primary depots: Ventura in North America and Bratislava, Slovakia, in Europe. Together, they form the backbone of a network that enables flexible, efficient distribution for studies of any size. Sponsors can select the optimal central depot based on manufacturing sites, study geography, or regulatory requirements, while relying on standardized processes and real-time digital systems to keep global operations aligned.

This integration eliminates the disconnects that often arise when regional vendors or siloed partners are used. Communication flows seamlessly between teams, inventory and shipments are tracked in a unified system, and decision-making is faster because everyone is working from the same data. Whether a sponsor is managing a U.S.-only study or a complex multi-country program, the experience is consistent: reliable timelines, predictable quality, and a single point of accountability.

For sponsors planning to scale their programs internationally, this global-local model delivers a critical advantage. They can start small, build confidence, and expand their reach without changing partners or navigating the costly disruptions that come with transitioning to a different provider midstream.

Innovation for the Future

The fuller vision for the Ventura facility is to operate as a testing ground for new ideas that anticipate where clinical research is headed. One area of focus is decentralized and direct-to-patient trials, where efficient, secure delivery of investigational products to participants’ homes is critical. By collaborating with technology partners and integrating advanced tracking and compliance tools, SanaClis is building solutions that make these patient-centric models more scalable and cost-effective.

Beyond decentralized trials, the facility is being positioned to support the full life cycle of drug development, including potential expansion into commercial distribution. Plans are already in place to explore sterile manufacturing capabilities and specialty laboratory services that will allow sponsors to centralize even more of their clinical and commercial operations within a single, trusted partner.

This forward-looking approach ensures that SanaClis isn’t just keeping pace with the industry but helping to shape its evolution. Sponsors benefit from a partner that not only meets their current needs but also provides access to innovative capabilities that can streamline future phases of development and, eventually, market launch.

By continually investing in technology, infrastructure, and process innovation, the Ventura hub ensures that sponsors — whether small biotechs or established pharma — have access to the tools they need to execute faster, smarter, and with greater confidence in the integrity and compliance of their programs.

Local Engagement and Partnerships

From the beginning, the Ventura facility was envisioned not just as an operational hub but as a point of connection with the local life sciences ecosystem. SanaClis has taken an active role in building relationships with biotech incubators, accelerators, and industry groups across California, creating opportunities to engage with emerging companies early in their development journey. These partnerships allow SanaClis to understand the unique challenges that young biotechs face and to provide guidance and support that is tailored to their realities.

For many of these early-stage companies, the biggest barriers are not scientific but operational: figuring out how to package and distribute clinical materials, how to navigate global regulatory requirements, or how to scale supply chains as programs expand. By offering access to expertise and infrastructure early, sometimes even before a program is ready to enter the clinic, SanaClis helps these innovators plan smarter and avoid common pitfalls that can delay development.

This commitment to partnership extends to innovative financial models as well. In select cases, SanaClis has co-invested in programs by deferring portions of costs or structuring agreements tied to milestones or equity, providing smaller sponsors with the runway they need to advance their studies without compromising operational quality. This long-term, relationship-driven approach reflects the company’s beliefs that today’s small biotech could be tomorrow’s global leader and that supporting them early creates value for both sides.

Conclusion

The Ventura facility reflects the company’s philosophy of combining local agility with global strength. For emerging biotechs, it provides immediate access to end-to-end clinical supply chain support close to home, helping them move faster and with greater confidence in their early trials. For more established sponsors, it offers the same high level of service integrated seamlessly into a global network, ensuring consistent execution across geographies and study phases.

As clinical research becomes increasingly complex and time-sensitive, this balance of proximity and scale has become a critical differentiator. Sponsors gain a partner that can accelerate their timelines today while also supporting their growth tomorrow, whether that means expanding into multi-country phase III programs, preparing for regulatory submissions, or scaling toward commercial distribution.

With a foundation built on operational excellence and a vision firmly focused on innovation, SanaClis is helping sponsors navigate the challenges of modern clinical development: delivering the right materials, to the right place, at the right time, anywhere in the world. The Ventura facility is the embodiment of that promise: a local hub with a truly global reach, empowering sponsors of all sizes to bring new therapies to patients faster and more efficiently.