UPS, Edwards Lifesciences distribute COVID-19 medtech

As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, UPS and medical technology firm Edwards Lifesciences are partnering to deliver critical technology to hospitals.

Edwards, the Irvine, California-based medical technology firm is a specialist in heart valves and blood flow and other critical intensive care unit monitoring equipment. Its HemoSphere advanced monitoring platform can examine different vital signs and assist clinicians to make more informed treatment decisions for patients with COVID-19. 69 pallets of such equipment were recently shipped by UPS from Puerto Rico to treatment centers in Europe.

Katie Szyman, Edwards Lifesciences’ corporate vice president, critical care, said in a press release: “I am proud of our teams at Edwards who are working hard to meet the increase in demand for life-saving technologies that are being used to treat COVID-19 patients around the world.

“As a result of this strong collaboration with UPS, we’ve been able to overcome major shipping challenges, ensuring that our technologies are getting to healthcare workers on the front lines of this pandemic who may need them for critically ill patients.”

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UPS Healthcare is a specific division of the company specialising in global supply chain solutions for pharmaceutical, biopharma and medical device companies. It maintains around 900 field stocking locations and is capable of transporting items in need of strict temperature control, as sensitive medical items so often are.

Wes Wheeler, president of UPS Healthcare, said: “UPS Healthcare is proud to leverage its healthcare logistics solutions and expertise to support Edwards’ complex supply chain requirements. 

“Through UPS Temperature True, air freight, forwarding, small package and UPS Express Critical® services, along with customs brokerage and warehouse optimization, we have been able to work closely with Edwards to navigate strict regulatory environments and respond to urgent demand. I cannot express enough the essential role of world-class logistics in these times when lives are on the line.”