UPS-owned healthcare logistics specialist Marken is taking responsibility for another UPS subsidiary, Polar Speed, to strengthen the US group’s presence in the UK.
Marken announced today that it will assume responsibility for Polar Speed, a leading provider of pharmacy and cold chain transportation services in the United Kingdom. Both companies are both wholly-owned subsidiaries of UPS.
Each company operates independently in the UK, but the new collaboration will enable greater knowledge sharing, significant pharmaceutical expertise and operational synergies. The combination of the two companies will also provide a stronger healthcare presence in the UK which could lead to further expansion in the future.
Wes Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer of Marken, commented: "Polar Speed and Marken will bring value to its customers by leveraging each other's knowledge of the healthcare industry in the UK. Polar Speed's reputation for high quality temperature-controlled transportation and pharmacy services and Marken's reputation for high quality clinical trial services will form a strong presence for UPS. Together, the two companies will work with each other to offer a full complement of services to the UK healthcare industry.”
According to the company, the collaboration with Marken will enhance Polar Speed's fleet of 150 actively monitored temperature-controlled vehicles for transporting products in accordance with U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidelines. This fleet is outfitted with sophisticated technology, including on-board temperature recorders and alarms to alert drivers of potential temperature excursions.
In addition, PolarTrack, an online portal linked to a satellite navigation system, allows customers to access real-time delivery status and temperature conditions of their products. Along with their extensive warehouse and transport service offerings, Polar Speed provides automated Order to Cash services to over 14,000 pharmacies and Direct to Patient Homecare services throughout the UK from its licensed Pharmacy locations.
For its part, US-based Marken maintains the leading position for Direct to Patient and Home Health care services, biological sample shipments and offers a state-of-the-art GMP-compliant depot network and logistic hubs in 49 locations worldwide for clinical trial material storage and distribution. The company’s more than 950 staff members manage 70,000 drug and biological shipments every month at all temperature ranges in more than 150 countries.
In its latest network expansion, Marken has opened a new GMP-compliant facility in Philadelphia to meet increased demand in the region. The state-of-the-art depot connects to the existing logistics hub and is near the Philadelphia International Airport. In addition, Marken has increased its logistics warehouse capacity by a factor of four to accommodate the growing client need for clinical drug product, clinical drug substance and medical device storage.
The new depot facility is fully validated and compliant with FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations. It was designed to accommodate storage of all temperature ranges including: +15 to +25° C controlled ambient storage, +2 to +8° C refrigerated storage, -15 to -25° C frozen storage and -80° C ultra low freezers. The depot will offer a full complement of services including receipt, pick and pack, hybrid shipping, returns handling and destruction, re-labeling and inventory reconciliation. Inventory is managed via Marken’s customized Solo operating system.
Marken is also planning to add an area for storage of genetically modified organisms (GMO) which are used in the development of gene therapies. The expanded warehouse will also be fitted with liquid nitrogen filling equipment and a fleet of ultra-low temperature shipping containers which will provide a full service cell and gene logistics operation. The existing 24/7 Patient Communications Center and project management services in Philadelphia will be expanded to accommodate the increased number of complex protocols being handled from this location and the increased demand for direct to patient shipments.
Marken chief Wheeler said: “Our newest facility is a result of the growing business in the Philadelphia area. We are committed to helping our clients deliver clinical trials in an efficient and effective manner, and this facility is a tailored solution for clinical drug handling. By co-locating our newest depot with our existing logistics branch, we are able to provide all our services under one roof for a streamlined and flexible supply chain.”
