Press Releases

Marken is closely monitoring the ongoing developments of the expected two-day long transport strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 12-13 by Lufthansa airlines and Deutsche Bahn railway.

The Lufthansa strikes were called for by The Independent Flight Attendants Organisation (UFO) union and will cause significant disruption at two of Germany's busiest airports, Frankfurt and Munich. The GDL union announced the strike of Deutsche Bahn passenger and freight train drivers, impacting railroad operations worldwide. This may also include other types of transport, such as local transport services, and the handling and release of imports into Germany as well.

Please note, that Marken has implemented contingency plans, leveraging our UPS network, and diverting exports to other airports, to avoid impacts wherever possible. Our team is proactively working with our clients to provide alternative arrangements and our Customer Service team will communicate any necessary updates to clients as this ongoing situation progresses.

For any immediate questions about a particular shipment, please contact your local Marken branch or business professional.

We will watch and manage this situation very closely within our network to reduce or negate impact to clients and their shipments.

As extreme winter weather conditions are developing throughout Chicago and surrounding regions, we expect there may be delays in the supply chain and are prepared with contingency plans in place.

The major storm is forecasted to bring heavy snow, strong winds and ice to the area, which will lead to hazardous travel and possible blizzard conditions. A full ground stop was issued at O’Hare Airport with approximately 1,000 flight cancellations and delays reported at both O’Hare and Midway International Airports.

Marken is closely monitoring the ongoing weather conditions, and we will work proactively with clients to provide alternative arrangements to ensure patients are unaffected and service remains uninterrupted. Our Customer Service team will communicate any necessary updates to clients as this situation progresses.

For any immediate questions about a particular shipment, please contact your local Marken branch or business professional.

Marken will continue to oversee the ongoing situation and will share updates as available.

Marken is closely following reports across the central region of Japan where a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck on the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture on January 1st, 2024. As a result, on January 2nd, a Japan Airlines A350-900 aircraft designated for earthquake relief efforts, collided with another relief plane at Tokyo Haneda Airport, resulting in a massive explosion.

Please note some domestic flights are experiencing cancellations and delays, however Marken and UPS are fully operational, monitoring all shipments that may be impacted and are taking the necessary steps with Business Continuity Plans in place, to proactively minimize delays and mitigate disruptions for our clients and patients.

We remain committed to sourcing the best available options for each shipment as we continue to observe ongoing challenges. Please contact your local Marken branch or business professional if you have questions about a particular shipment.

Marken will continue to oversee the ongoing situation and will share updates as available.

Marken remains committed to delivering lifesaving drugs to patients involved in clinical trials. While the current situation in Israel continues to evolve, we are proactively monitoring and are working on solutions on a day-by-day basis, with contingencies in place, for clients and patients affected by the supply chain disruptions.

Please note, we understand and anticipate delays in deliveries and collections from sites in the south of Israel, in areas such as Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beer Sheva and the surrounding region. We remain fully operational in the surrounding cities and throughout the region, with daily collections and deliveries.

OPERATIONAL UPDATES:

TRANSPORT LOGISTICS

AIRLINES - Due to an increased demand for freight shipments to and from Israel, several airlines are switching to air freight, including EI AI. There is a decrease in passenger flights and increase in cargo flights, some carriers are converting passenger planes into cargo planes.

In addition to flight cancellations to and from Israel, several airlines have extended their service stop to and from Beirut, Lebanon, until late November / December. Marken has contingency options available and there is currently no impact or delays for our supply chain operations.

Marken continues to support regular traffic out of Israel to EU and US destinations. Due to weight limitations for exports from Israel, we are leveraging all available El Al flights to major European airports, including Frankfurt, Paris, London, Dublin and Brussels. As part of Marken’s contingency plans, in cases where these airports are inaccessible, we are redirecting traffic to alternate European airports.

ROAD – Ground transport faces hurdles in this region. There is an available border route, via Jordan, however, it is partially restricted due to heightened security, particularly for freight and open for individual transit. Marken continues to source alternate routes, as needed, to reduce impacts to shipments in/out of this region.

OCEAN - Due to risk mitigation, several ocean carriers have redirected their routes to Haifa, the northern port, given Ashdod is in the south.

REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE

IMPORTS FROM US & EUROPE INTO ISRAEL – There are several freight services available from Liege, Belgium and the US to Tel Aviv with stringent security measures in place.

CUSTOMS & HANDLING AGENT IN TEL AVIV - Due to a reduction in the workforce at the airport for import/export handling and customs clearance, there may be some delays in the overall handling processes. Marken’s certified customs specialists and regulatory experts are readily available to discuss shipping lane verification requirements, customs regulations, local sanctions and guidelines as needed.

DIRECT-TO-PATIENT/DIRECT-FROM-PATIENT (DTP/DFP) SERVICES

The request for DTP/DFP services has dramatically increased within Israel and Marken’s Rapid Response team is available to coordinate shipments and patient deliveries in each region. Our global teams are equipped with the necessary SOP training to comply with all safety regulations throughout the region.

We have temperature-controlled packaging and resources in place locally to facilitate Credo conditioning and temperature-controlled transportation. Reach out to your local Marken contact if you would like to discuss leveraging DTP or DFP options to ensure drug supply continuity.

As your single-source solutions partner, we’re here for you. For information on your particular shipment, please contact your local Marken Customer Service Representatives. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely and remain available for any assistance our clients require at this challenging time.

*This situation is fluid and we are updating as we can