The units – in Frankfurt and New York – enable Marken to store clients’ clinical trial supplies in temperature-controlled conditions and are connected to the firm’s other sites – including recently established depots in Singapore, Mexico and Argentina – using its Solo, cloud-based inventory management system.
“Having these two new central depots allows us to serve our clients with global distribution services and, more importantly, to serve our clients who seek comprehensive and efficient global distribution. Phase One is complete,” said Gerit Offenhauser, senior VP, Clinical Trials Distribution for Marken.
He added that: “We are now pushing forward with Phase Two, which will include more depots in key countries around the world such as China, Brazil and Russia” which is the first time Marken has announced its plans in Russia and Brazil
China expansion
In contrast, Marken first unveiled its plans to set up a depot in Beijing, China in February this year. At the time CEO Wes Wheeler told Outsourcing-pharma.com the move would give the firm the local expertise to operate in one of the world’s most important markets.
“There is an increasing need in the region and we plan to accommodate this need, especially in the transport and storage of drug product, API and clinical samples” he said, adding that “regulations in China…requiring special skills and know-how in the region, and we are responding to this challenge.”
In wider terms the expansion is part of what wheeler called Marken’s transformation from a “premium courier services to a full service supply chain services company” – which also involves establishing a facility in India.
The new depots and the wider global reach may also have implications for the home delivery service Marken started looking at earlier this year.
The plan, according to comments the firm made in May, would involve supplying clinical trial drugs direct to patient’s homes from local storage facilities.