Marken partners with a tech partner, Thread, for decentralized clinical trials

It has been widely recognized over the past year’s pandemic that more clinical trial activity has moved to the patient’s home, including fully decentralized trials that mostly do not require patients to visit clinical trial sites. Now, a provider of such decentralized services, Thread, is partnering with Marken, the UPS Healthcare subsidiary that specializes in clinical trial logistics. The partnership, according to the companies, promises to provide a more seamless experience both for patients and for trial sponsors.

Marken brings a global network of depots and logistics hubs to the partnership; besides delivery and pickup services, it offers direct-to-patient and home healthcare services, biological sample shipments and biological kit production. Thread provides platform features such as eConsent, eCOA/ePRO, sensors, reminders, and telehealth virtual visits to support remote data capture, hybrid virtual studies, and fully decentralized studies in key therapeutic areas.

“UPS Healthcare and our Marken unit have an ongoing commitment to investing in the latest technologies and digital innovations to improve the overall patient experience,” said Wes Wheeler, UPS Healthcare president. “This partnership with Thread is the first step in redefining the clinical trial experience across the industry, making the delivery of critical treatments more efficient and expediting care for patients.”