ATLANTA, March 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS (NYSE: UPS) and Marken are proud to be recognized by participants in Nice
Insight’s 2017 Clinical Supply Chain Logistics Survey as a top provider in temperature data collection and management services for
clinical trial materials. Survey findings were released in March of 2017 in Pharma’s Almanac, a quarterly supplement to the American Pharmaceutical Review.
Nice Insight, the research arm of That’s Nice, A Science Agency, based in New York City, conducted its first market survey to
gauge the pharmaceutical industry’s perceptions of the most prominent global supply chain logistics providers. Nice Insight
surveyed 320 key healthcare logistics decision-makers at large and midsize organizations in North America, Europe and Asia.
UPS/Marken consistently scored highest among study respondents across a range of technical, operational and service capabilities.
Fielded and tabulated just after the announcement and closing of UPS’s acquisition of Marken, respectively, the combined brands
were among 22 top providers of supply chain logistics for the pharma-biotech industry rated.
“UPS and Marken are honored to be recognized by the industry for best-in-class service offerings for clinical trials,” says
Geoff Light, UPS president of healthcare logistics strategy. “Improved health outcomes through sophisticated drugs and vaccines
start with successful trials, and optimized logistics is an integral component of medical research and development.”
Healthcare logistics is a strategic priority for UPS, and in 2016 it announced an expansion of clinical trial capabilities. Also, in December of 2016, UPS continued its investment in market
expertise, with the acquisition of Marken. Marken works closely with its clinical trial clients and
investigator sites to collect and ship drug products, clinical trial materials and biological samples. As an industry leader,
Marken is well-known for its commitment to hitting milestones, on-time delivery, flexibility to handle change, regulatory expertise
and good understanding of clients’ needs. Marken’s global network facilitates the growing demand for direct-to-patient services and
reliable handling of cell and gene therapy materials.
“The explosive growth of cell and gene therapies is a good example of clinical research that requires a streamlined supply chain
powered by a team experienced in logistics solutions for complex therapies,” says Wes Wheeler, CEO of Marken. “Marken appreciates
the trust that the pharmaceutical industry puts in our capabilities, and we will continue to grow and innovate with UPS’s support
to ensure that we remain, together, the global leaders for this industry.”
Nice Insight created its Clinical Supply Chain Logistics Survey “to keep our finger on the pulse of market perceptions
when it comes to clinical logistics and data management service providers,” says Steve Kuehn, That’s Nice LLC executive content
director, and an editor of Pharma’s Almanac. “Shipping clinical trial supplies involves strict temperature controls, monitoring and
a broad scope of other specialized solutions, and we want to gain insights into who organizations view as industry supply chain
leaders.”
Survey results will be distributed at the upcoming Drug, Chemical and Associated Technologies (DCAT) conference to attendees in
the pharmaceutical development and manufacturing sector. The results will also be shared at Interphex, a pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and medical device event for industry professionals. Both conferences will be held in March in New York.
About UPS
UPS is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight;
facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered
in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS or follow @UPS_News.
About UPS Healthcare
UPS provides best-in-class, global supply chain solutions and compliance expertise to pharmaceutical, biopharma and medical
device companies. UPS has 60+ healthcare-dedicated facilities and 7 million square feet of cGMP- or cGDP-compliant healthcare
distribution space. UPS also maintains the world’s largest network of field stocking locations with 950 sites. For parcels
requiring strict temperature environments, from CRT to cryogenic, and those requiring around-the-clock monitoring, UPS has
solutions such as UPS Temperature True™ and UPS Proactive Response™ services. UPS is committed to expanding its healthcare
capabilities including recent acquisitions of Marken, CEMELOG and Poltraf, to meet the complex and evolving supply chain needs of
the healthcare and life science sectors. Visit ups.com/healthcare.
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 services and
biological sample shipments and offers a state-of-the-art GMP-compliant depot network and logistic hubs in 45 locations worldwide
for clinical trial material storage and distribution. Marken’s more than 720 staff members manage 50,000 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.
David Graves, UPS Public Relations davidgraves@ups.com Christine Noble, Marken Marketing christine.noble@marken.com
