Marken announced the expansion of its facilities in Philadelphia to include more space for logistics operations as well as a new GMP-compliant storage and distribution center to meet the growing demand for services in the area. The facility is a tailored solution for clinical drug handling and its close proximity to Philadelphia International Airport will allow faster transit times.
A new 11,000 square foot depot will be connected to the existing logistics hub and will offer temperature controlled capabilities, including storage for +2 to +8?C, +15 to +15?C and -20?C, limited packaging and labeling services. There are also plans to develop future storage for genetically modified organisms (GMO) to meet the increased demand in cell and gene therapies.
Marken is also planning to provide central pharmacy capabilities inside of the GMP depot. This additional service will be aligned with Marken’s strategy to focus on patient centricity which includes direct to / from patient home deliveries and home health care services.
The expansion of the existing Philadelphia branch will double its current size, allowing more space for: managing pallet shippers and active containers, conditioning temperature controlled shippers and warehouse storage. The new space will also increase the capacity of its 24/7 Patient Communications Center (PCC) to assist patients who participate in trials from their homes.
Wes Wheeler, CEO of Marken, said, “The new and expanded space in Philadelphia will allow synergies between our key operating branch in Philadelphia and a new GMP depot / distribution center. We will be able to provide all of our clinical logistics services under one roof, ensuring streamlined and efficient solutions for our clients. It is Marken’s strategy and ultimate goal to create a complete end-to-end supply chain featuring: logistics, customer service, storage, distribution and labelling services from each of our global GMP locations.”
About Marken
Marken is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS. Marken is the only patient-centric supply chain organization 100% dedicated to the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. 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 48 locations worldwide for clinical trial material storage and distribution. Marken’s more than 900 staff members manage 55,000 drug and biological shipments every month at all temperature ranges in more than 150 countries. Additional services such as biological kit production, ancillary material sourcing, storage and distribution, shipment lane verification and qualifications, as well as GDP, regulatory and compliance consultancy add to Marken’s unique position in the pharma and logistics industry.
