Marken’s direct-to-patient services create a supply chain that can bring the medicine directly to the patient instead of directly to the site, and Dan Bell, VP of North American Operations and Global Regulatory Affairs, said this can improve trial compliance simply out of convenience – enabling clinical trial participants to reduce the need to visit trial sites and clinic.
Innovations in packaging for clinical supply are additional areas Marken is looking into. “We’ve done a lot of work on what we call thermo-isolating, better packaging that’s lighter and that can keep things at the right temperature longer – there’s constant innovation there,” said Bell.
Currently, Marken’s supply chain uses controlled room temperature facilities, refrigerators and freezers, and packaging materials with GPS and remote temperature monitoring devices, to provide cold chain, ultra-cold chain, and ambient temperature shipping for both its direct-to-patient services and its traditional supply chain.
He added that beyond the innovations that can enable remote temperature readings and GPS tracking that it is currently using, software systems that use artificial intelligence (AI) can pose the opportunity to design an accelerated supply chain by tapping into big data.
For a look inside Marken’s Chicago facility, and to hear more about the work the company is doing to innovate, catch our quick video above.
