Brazil is the 8th of 10 currently planned depots within Marken’s world network and it precedes the opening of two new depots opening in Chile and Peru. The three depots in South America will offer clients enough square footage to sore and distribute clinical trial materials throughout the Latin America region.
Based near the Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, the Brazilian depot will offer temperature controlled storage at all levels, as well as controlled room temperature that can go as low as -20 degrees Celsius. The depot will offer drug receipt, pick and pack, dispatch and drug return/destruction services. The Brazil facility will also operate under Marken’s global and fully validated proprietary software system, which allows inventory management from anywhere in the world.
Ariette Van Strien, SVP of Commercial Operations in Brazil, told Outsourcing-Pharma.com that with 50% of Latin American trials taking place in Brazil, it made sense to open a depot there. A division of Brazilian drug regulator Anvisa has certified the depot as being GMP compliant, as well as that the drugs and employees working at the depot are secure and not exposed to any risks, Van Strien said.
“In six to eight weeks we’ll open the depots in Peru and Chile,” she said, noting the construction of all three facilities has been ongoing for the past three years. Drug approvals are beginning to come faster in these countries, which is encouraging an increase in clinical trials, Van Strien noted.
As far as clinical trial activity is concerned, she said Marken is seeing an uptick in trials across the region, especially in Guatemala and Panama.
Gerit Offenhauser, Senior Vice President, Clinical Trials Distribution, added, “The opening of our newest depot in Brazil brings us one step closer to the completion of our strategic depot growth plan that was put into place two years ago.”
Last year and in 2012, Marken also opened trials depots in China and Russia.