Durbin

What Durbin does

Durbin is a specialist medical supply company that sources and distributes pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and consumable supplies globally. Founded in 1963 (with the Aid and Development division tracing to 1970) and headquartered in Hayes, Middlesex, near Heathrow Airport, the company operates as the UK trading entity within Uniphar Group's Product Access / On Demand division following Uniphar's 2021 acquisition. Durbin serves pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers, healthcare professionals, NHS institutions, Ministries of Health (particularly across the Middle East), and humanitarian aid organizations across 160+ countries. The company employs 101-250 staff and supports over 20,000 medicines globally through a 550,000+ sq ft multi-temperature GDP-compliant warehouse network with cold chain (2-8°C) and frozen (-20°C) capabilities, reporting >98.5% next-day delivery success to healthcare professionals and 99.9% barcode-driven pick accuracy.

The company's offering spans eight core service lines: Clinical Trial Supply (CTS), Expanded Access Programs, Global Access (non-core market commercialization), Distribution Solutions (pre-wholesale, wholesale, bespoke, and 3PL), Unlicensed Medicines, Global Sourcing, Aid and Development, and Sexual Health Supplies. Sub-brands include Devonshire Healthcare Services (Middle East-focused hospital supply, acquired 2021) and PharmaSource (Irish market unlicensed medicines leader). The proprietary 'uniphi' cloud platform supports real-world data collection during expanded access programs with customizable dashboards, and an e-commerce portal (ps.durbinglobal.com) enables authorized HCPs to self-serve unlicensed medicine orders. Durbin holds distribution licenses from UK MHRA, HPRA (Ireland), USA Pharmacy Authorities, and the DEA, plus GDP/GMP compliance and USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance approved-vendor status.

Durbin generates revenue through transaction fees on pharmaceutical distribution and wholesale, transaction fees on clinical trial supply services, managed-services contracts for 3PL and bespoke distribution, and professional-services fees for Expanded Access Program management. The go-to-motion is enterprise field sales with dedicated account managers serving key manufacturer, hospital, and aid clients, supplemented by self-serve e-commerce for unlicensed medicines. The company operates from offices in the UK (Hayes, Middlesex), Ireland (Dublin), and the United States (Ocean Springs, MS). CEO Leslie Morgan leads the company under Uniphar Group ownership (Uniphar is publicly listed on the Irish Stock Exchange).

Name

Durbin

Legal name

Durbin PLC

Website

https://durbinglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Durbin is a UK-headquartered specialist medical supply company, operating as the UK trading entity of Uniphar Group's Product Access division, that sources and distributes pharmaceuticals, unlicensed medicines, and medical supplies to pharma manufacturers, the NHS, Ministries of Health, and humanitarian aid organizations across 160+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421), Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423450)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Government & Public-Sector Pharmaceutical Supply (Tender/Prime Vendor) (HLAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Clinical Trial Supply, Logistics & Vendor Management FSP (HLAGAOAH)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution
• Medical supply services
• Clinical trial supply
• Expanded access programs
• Humanitarian medical supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Distribution & Wholesale: Distribution and wholesale of licensed and unlicensed pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and healthcare supplies to hospitals, pharmacies, and healthcare professionals across global markets.
2. Clinical Trial Supply Services: Supply of products and ancillaries for clinical trial stages from lab-based requests through Phase 3 trials. Includes sourcing, storing, and distributing products on demand to clinical trial sites.
3. Third-Party Logistics (3PL): Pre-wholesale, wholesale, bespoke distribution, and third-party logistics model for pharmaceutical and healthcare products. Multi-temperature controlled warehousing including ambient, cold chain (2-8°C), and frozen storage (-20°C).
4. Expanded Access Programs: Management and facilitation of expanded access programs enabling patient access to investigational therapies, working with pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Durbin is a specialist medical supplier that sources, distributes, and supplies licensed and unlicensed pharmaceuticals, medical devices, clinical trial supplies, and consumables to healthcare manufacturers, hospitals, pharmacies, healthcare professionals, NHS, and humanitarian aid organisations across 160+ countries. The company offers end-to-end medicine access services including clinical trial supply, expanded access programs, non-core market commercialisation, third-party logistics (3PL), global sourcing, and aid & development supply from multi-temperature controlled GDP-compliant facilities.

Product overview

Durbin is a world-leading specialist medical supplier offering a portfolio of integrated products and services. The core offering consists of Clinical Trial Supply, Expanded Access Programs, Global Access (non-core market commercialisation), Distribution Solutions, Unlicensed Medicines, Global Sourcing, Aid and Development, and Sexual Health Supplies. Supporting these are sub-brands Devonshire Healthcare Services and PharmaSource. An e-commerce platform (On Demand Portal) enables healthcare professionals to access the Unlicensed Medicines Catalogue. The company is part of the Uniphar Group and holds licences from UK MHRA, HPRA, USA Pharmacy Authorities, and DEA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Devonshire Healthcare Services: Global hospital supplier specializing in pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, with extensive knowledge of the public and private sector hospitals and after-care markets, primarily serving the Middle East region.
• PharmaSource
• Durbin On Demand
• CTS PTSI

Products and services

• Clinical Trial Supply Global solutions providing products and ancillaries for all stages of the clinical trial and development process, from lab-based requests through Phase 3 trials, with facilities in the UK, EU, and US supporting sourcing, storage, and distribution to clinical trial sites on demand.
• Expanded Access Programs (EAP) Management and facilitation of Expanded Access Programs (also known as Managed Access, Early Access, or Compassionate Use Programs), enabling patient access to investigational therapies through the proprietary uniphi real-world data platform while ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Global Access (Non-Core Market Commercialisation) Non-core market commercialisation services that support medicines access in markets where pharma is not yet present or wishes to exit, providing named patient sales and full-service commercialisation for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
• Distribution Solutions UK distribution services from a multi-temperature controlled GDP-compliant warehouse facility in Hayes, offering pre-wholesale, wholesale, bespoke distribution, and third-party logistics (3PL) services including ambient, cold chain (2-8°C), and frozen storage (-20°C).
• Unlicensed Medicines Supply Import and supply of unlicensed pharmaceutical products for named patients and patient cohorts, addressing medicine shortages with capabilities for over 20,000 medicines globally, accessible via the ps.durbinglobal.com portal.
• Global Sourcing International sales division within Durbin On Demand that sources and supplies pharmaceuticals and medical devices globally, including US Exports services for clinical trial supplies and named patient services.
• Aid and Development Supply Medical supplies procurement and distribution to the developing world, serving aid organisations across 160+ countries with pharmaceuticals, consumables, medical supplies, and devices for humanitarian programmes; BHA (USAID) approved vendor.
• Sexual Health Supplies Supplier of sexual health products including IUDs, Manual Vacuum Aspirators, Mifepristone, condoms, lubricants, dilators, and instruments, serving NHS hospitals, CASH clinics, charities, and private healthcare providers.
• Devonshire Healthcare Services Global hospital supplier specializing in pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for public and private sector hospitals, with particular expertise in the Middle East region, supplying generics, biologics, biosimilars, vaccines, and controlled drugs.
• PharmaSource Irish market leader in procurement and supply of unlicensed, difficult-to-source, and out-of-stock medicines, offering the largest portfolio of unlicensed medicines in Ireland with ecommerce platform support.
• Unlicensed Medicines On Demand Portal E-commerce platform for authorised healthcare professionals to access the Unlicensed Medicines Catalogue, manage orders, track shipments, and request certificates of analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• >98.5% success rate in next day HCP deliveries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Uniphar GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDurbin is part of the Uniphar Group, specifically within the Product Access Division. The acquisition by Uniphar in 2021 expanded Durbin's access to a wider range of medicines and products including Generics, Biologics, Biosimilars, Vaccines and Controlled Drugs. Durbin serves as the UK trading entity within Uniphar's global sourcing business.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Clinigen Group: Clinigen operates a near-identical service portfolio to Durbin, including unlicensed medicines supply, expanded/managed access programs, and clinical trial supply, serving pharma manufacturers and healthcare professionals globally—making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Almac Group: Almac provides clinical trial supply, packaging, labeling, and global distribution services to pharma and biotech sponsors, overlapping directly with Durbin's CTS PTSI offering across sourcing, storage, and distribution to investigator sites.
• Sharp Clinical Services: Sharp Clinical Services (part of UDG Healthcare / Clinigen) specializes in clinical trial supply, primary and secondary packaging, and global distribution, directly competing with Durbin's clinical trial supply capabilities.
• Movianto (Owens & Minor): Movianto provides specialized pharmaceutical warehousing, distribution, and cold-chain logistics across Europe, directly comparable to Durbin's multi-temperature GDP-compliant distribution and 3PL offerings for pharma manufacturers.

Broad incumbents

• McKesson: McKesson is one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesalers and distributors, offering broad-line pharma distribution, specialty pharma, and clinical trial services that overlap with Durbin's distribution and CTS businesses, though at vastly larger scale.
• Cencora (AmerisourceBergen): Cencora is a top-tier global pharma distribution and solutions provider, including specialty distribution and clinical trial support through World Courier and other units, competing with Durbin on enterprise pharma distribution and CTS.
• Alliance Healthcare: Alliance Healthcare is a major European pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor (Walgreens Boots Alliance subsidiary) operating in the UK and across Europe, providing broad-line pharma distribution services that overlap with Durbin's distribution solutions.
• Phoenix Group: Phoenix Group is one of Europe's largest pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution companies, operating across multiple EU territories and competing with Durbin in cross-border pharmaceutical distribution and retail pharmacy supply.
• Cardinal Health: Cardinal Health is a major US-headquartered pharmaceutical distributor and healthcare services provider with global reach, competing with Durbin in enterprise pharma distribution and clinical/specialty pharma supply.

Regional players

• Zuellig Pharma: Zuellig Pharma is a leading pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare services provider across Asia, with comparable pharma distribution, cold chain, and specialty pharma services, though operating primarily outside Durbin's core UK/EU/US footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/durbin-plc
• Xx.com/durbinglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Durbin