Marken successfully transported critical compassionate use medicinal products and supplies as part of a humanitarian effort in Ukraine. Mitigating the multitude of supply chain and regulatory challenges, our dedicated EAP team implemented a customized and safe routing solution to ensure all of the lifesaving medications and supplies are delivered on-time.

Marken successfully ships life-saving treatments for humanitarian aid in Ukraine

GOAL
As part of a humanitarian effort responding to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Marken was requested by a client to ship critical compassionate use medicinal products and supplies.

CHALLENGE

• These requested clinical supplies were currently not available in the region to aid Ukrainian refugees.
• These shipments required a 48-turnaround time (TAT) in order to stay within temperature specifications and reach the patient on-time as these critical medicines can be lifesaving.
• Compassionate treatments have complex regulatory hurdles, specific logistical requirements and personalized needs.
• Being a war zone, air transport and routine logistics operations have been severely affected in and out of Ukraine.

SOLUTION
To mitigate the supply chain and regulatory challenges, Marken’s dedicated Early Access Programs (EAP) team collaborated to devise a customized and safe routing solution. Working closely with the client, Marken outlined route risk assessment and compliance clearance processes to ensure delivery within crucial lead-time.

Marken’s EAP team immediately started working with a local LSP in Poland to assist customs clearance via the Polish Ministry of Health (MOH). Together, Marken and the Polish government agency body, RARS, productively expedited the importation of the compassionate critical shipments under humanitarian aid and organized road transportation from Poland into Ukraine directly to the Ukrainian MOH.

To safeguard the temperature of these critical shipments at 2̊ to 8̊ and 15̊ to 25̊ Celsius, Marken provided preconditioned temperature-controlled packaging and shipping solutions. By placing GPS devices on the outside cartons for real-time location and temperature tracking, complete chain of custody was delivered and maintained throughout the shipment journey.

OUTCOME
The shipments arrived at the Ukraine MOH safely, at the required temperature specifications, while exceeding the 48-hour lead-time with an overall 43-hour TAT deliverable performance. The compassionate life-saving medicines and supplies were successfully distributed to the patients and refugees who urgently needed them.

ABOUT MARKEN
Marken is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS and is a critical part of UPS Healthcare. With Polar Speed and Marken included, the UPS Healthcare division staffs 128 locations with 5,500 employees worldwide. Marken offers a state-of-the-art GMP-compliant depot network and logistic hubs for clinical drug product storage and distribution in 59 locations worldwide, while maintaining the leading position for Direct-to-Patient and Home Healthcare services, biological sample shipments and biological kit production. Marken’s dedicated 2,000+ staff members manage 154,000 drug product and biological sample shipments every month at all temperature ranges in more than 220 countries and territories and have orchestrated 14,000+ home healthcare visits. Additional services such as cell and gene supply chain services, 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.