Brazil’s ANVISA recently approved shipments of biological samples from Sao Paulo’s Viracopos airport to the U.S. using the UPS airline. The pilot program approved by the Brazilian authorities will allow biologic samples to depart from a second Sao Paulo airport to the U.S., allowing Marken to take advantage of an existing UPS flight to any U.S. city.

The hybrid logistics service leverages the UPS network with Marken’s clinical expertise and benefits Brazil-based clinical investigators by offering a single provider for all shipments. Marken will manage all aspects of the shipment including all investigator orders, export documentation and shipment status updates for full end-to-end visibility.

The new hybrid service extends the latest pick up times for 21 Brazilian cities by up to five hours, allowing investigators more time to prepare and package the sample. The use of the UPS aircraft also reduces reliance on commercial airlines, which can offload biologic cargo from time to time leading to shipment delays. 

Marken has gradually increased its staff in Brazil due to the continued strong demand from cities in Brazil which are an important source of patients for clinical trials. Additionally, Marken has deployed members of its Mexico operations team to assist with the new service from Brazil, given the success of a similar hybrid service from Mexico City launched a year ago.

“Brazil becomes the latest country from which we can offer a hybrid transport option to the U.S.,” said Wes Wheeler, chief executive officer, Marken. “The new option, which allows use of a second Sao Paulo-based airport at Viracopos provides maximum flexibility for our clients. We can offer later pick-up times, earlier U.S. delivery times and reduced paperwork for investigators in many Brazilian cities. We are the only clinical courier who can offer this level of flexibility and value. We will continue to develop hybrid options for many other cities throughout the world.”