As demand accelerates for specialized medicines such as GLP-1 therapies, healthcare logistics is becoming a priority for major carriers. Companies including UPS and FedEx are expanding cold-chain capacity and tightening controls to ship and store temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals reliably.
Most injectable GLP-1 medicines, including Ozempic and Wegovy from Novo Nordisk and Mounjaro and Zepbound from Eli Lilly, must be kept refrigerated in transit. The Covid era pushed healthcare logistics into focus as vaccine distribution required strict temperature management, and new waves of pharmaceutical innovation have kept attention on transport quality and reliability.
Carriers are pouring millions into temperature-controlled sites to capture the opportunity. In June, UPS announced a $48 million expansion of cold-chain facilities, citing rising demand for critical treatments. Growth Market Reports projects temperature-sensitive biologics will grow at an 8.3% compound annual rate through 2033, reaching about $39.1 billion in value.
Appetite for obesity and diabetes drugs has surged. A July Gallup poll found 11% of Americans used GLP-1 medications for weight loss in 2026, up from 3% in 2024. These products can lose efficacy if they are not shipped or stored at the correct temperature. The Food and Drug Administration advises patients not to use GLP-1 drugs that arrive warm or without proper refrigeration.
Beyond GLP-1s, other biologics such as certain vaccines, insulin and antibiotics also require specialized handling. For healthcare logistics providers, that means tight control from origin to destination and real-time visibility at each step.
Bulking up healthcare logistics
UPS says the sector has become one of its strongest growth engines. On an April earnings call, CEO Carol Tomé said the company’s global healthcare portfolio has taken share every year since 2021 and delivered its first $3 billion healthcare revenue quarter in this year’s first quarter. UPS President of Healthcare John Bolla said more drugmakers are seeking partners to handle rising volumes, adding that the move toward specialized therapies and care outside traditional settings is a key opportunity.
Bolla described rapid growth in biologics, cell and gene therapies, while noting the narrow margin for error because even short temperature deviations can spoil products. He said customers increasingly need not just refrigerated storage and transport but end-to-end visibility, control and dependable performance across the network.
FedEx is also expanding in healthcare logistics. The company launched a life sciences organization this month to support pharmaceuticals and other medical shipments. On a June earnings call, Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said healthcare transportation revenue reached nearly $10 billion in fiscal 2026. Nick Gennari, president of healthcare at FedEx, said the company is building end-to-end solutions for global pharma customers and views the growing complexity around GLP-1 deliveries, including injectable and oral formats and direct-to-consumer models, as a growth avenue.
Gennari highlighted specialized technology such as a machine learning engine that offers predictive tracking and tools that identify healthcare products to tailor handling by product type. He said FedEx is comfortable with its core capabilities and expansion plans in cold-chain logistics, pointing to the company’s airline, schedule, lift capacity and hardened network.
Complex supply chains in healthcare logistics
C.H. Robinson said it surpassed $1 billion in healthcare logistics revenue over the past year, driven largely by GLP-1 growth, as it invests in temperature-controlled facilities. Ronnie Davis, vice president of North American surface transportation, said true end-to-end connectivity and a robust infrastructure are essential to serve healthcare customers effectively.
Davis added that medicine supply chains are more complex, with many products needing refrigeration, short shelf lives and narrow delivery windows. He said rising demand for GLP-1s and other specialized drugs is straining cold-chain capacity, which remains limited. The company is expanding capabilities to meet higher volumes, while pharmaceutical makers are exploring ways to extend shelf life.
At DHL Supply Chain, CEO Hendrik Venter said healthcare logistics is intersecting with advances in artificial intelligence. The company uses AI to monitor critical life sciences shipments, track temperatures and predict issues before they occur. Venter said the industry is shifting from conventional to biopharma, which requires resilient supply chains capable of operating across multiple temperature bands.
DHL announced plans last year to invest 2 billion euros, about $2.25 billion, in health logistics by 2030, with half directed to the Americas. Venter said many drugmakers are outsourcing warehousing to DHL, which assumes management of those facilities and integrates them into its network. The company has also launched a global pharmaceutical air corridor with dedicated aircraft and a connected network to keep shipments within consistent regulatory regimes.
Venter emphasized that shipments cannot be lost or replaced and must arrive on time and within the right temperature and quality standards. He said DHL continues to target selective expansions to strengthen its healthcare logistics network, even as other logistics providers navigate shifting demand tied to trends like e-commerce and technology investment.