Marken forms tech team as cold chain market heats up
The group – known as Cortec – aims to develop best practices, packaging and temperature monitoring technologies suited to the complex regulatory demands of the rapidly expanding global clinical trials industry.
Marken spokesman Elan Josielewski told Outsourcing-pharma.com that: “This group was formed to drive innovation within Marken and the industry,” adding that team members’ position on groups like International Air Transport Association (IATA) will help with this aim.
Josielewski went on to say that the team – under the leadership of Marken quality and compliance director Robert Tungatt – has already started working on novel shipping technologies.
“We are developing a new shipping box for use with lab specimens in clinical trials. By leveraging the expertise in our team we are able to establish a design that will be universal and qualified to a higher standard across all countries.
“Since it is specifically designed for its function we are able to reduce the carbon footprint and still keep the same pricing despite the enhanced specifications.
Cold chain services sector heats up
The Cortec launch brings to an end a busy period for Marken following - as it does - hot on the heels of the firm's expansion in Latina America and efforts to promote its recently launched clinical distribution management platform.
It has been a similarly busy period for the rest of the logistics services sector. Earlier this week Outsourcing-pharma.com reported that TNT launched a new temperature controlled shipping offering.
Before that Movianto announced plans to open a 13,000 sqm pharmaceutical warehouse in the Netherlands to further expand its cold-chain capabilities.
And competition in the logistics sector looks set to increase further as – just yesterday – NextPharma announced the opening of a cold-chain facility in Werne, Germany that it has been developing since 2009.
