UPS expands clinical logistics business by acquiring Marken

John Gregory | | Health Exec | Economics

United Parcel Service (UPS), the world’s largest package delivery company, is making a big push into the medical deliveries business.

The Wall Street Journal reports UPS has agreed to purchase clinical logistics company Merken, which manages 50,000 drug and biological shipments per month, specializing in transporting materials and medicine for clinical trials.

The acquisition would give UPS around 100 facilities dedicated to healthcare deliveries—which appears to be a growing business because its more traditional customers, such as industrial companies and retailers, are no longer willing to pay for faster delivery.

“One of the things UPS and FedEx are dealing with is shippers increasingly want to pay less to go slower. [Clinical logistics] is one industry that doesn’t have trade-downs,’’ David Vernon, a transportation analyst at Sanford Bernstein, told the Journal.

For more on Merken’s financial condition ahead of the sale, click on the link below: 

UPS Acquires Marken to Focus More on Medical Deliveries

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John Gregory, Senior Writer

John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.

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