GLP-1 cold storage demand pushes logistics groups into healthcare buildout

GLP-1 cold storage demand is becoming a larger commercial priority for global logistics groups as obesity, diabetes and other biologic medicines require tighter temperature control in transit. UPS, FedEx, C.H. Robinson and DHL are investing in healthcare networks, with executives pointing to rising volumes, stricter handling needs and higher demand for shipment visibility.

Most injectable GLP-1 medicines, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, must be refrigerated during shipment. The Food and Drug Administration has warned that improper shipping storage can affect medicine quality and has advised patients not to use GLP-1 drugs that arrive warm or without adequate refrigeration.

The market is expanding beyond GLP-1s. Some vaccines, insulin, antibiotics and other biologics also need controlled temperatures to preserve their effectiveness. Cold-chain logistics uses refrigerated storage, specialized packaging, monitored transport and data systems to keep products within required temperature ranges from origin to delivery.

Why do GLP-1 drugs need cold storage?

Injectable GLP-1 drugs contain temperature-sensitive active ingredients that may degrade if exposed to heat outside the approved range. For logistics providers, that turns each handoff, warehouse stop and delivery window into a quality-control point rather than a routine parcel movement.

Demand indicators have moved quickly. Gallup said in July that 11% of Americans were taking GLP-1 medicines for weight loss in 2026, compared with 3% in 2024. Growth Market Reports projects the cold-chain logistics market for temperature-sensitive biologics to grow at an 8.3% compound annual rate through 2033, reaching about $39.1 billion.

UPS said in June it would invest $48 million in temperature-controlled facilities to meet demand for critical treatments. On an April earnings call, Chief Executive Carol Tomé said UPS’s global healthcare portfolio had gained market share each year since 2021 and posted its first $3 billion healthcare revenue quarter in the first quarter of 2026.

John Bolla, UPS president of healthcare, told CNBC that more healthcare companies are seeking partners able to handle larger volumes. He said UPS sees growth in biologics, cell therapies and gene therapies, where brief temperature deviations can damage medicines. He described the broader opportunity as providing storage, transport, visibility and control across the network.

FedEx has also expanded its healthcare focus. The company launched a life sciences organization this month to support pharmaceutical and healthcare-product movement. In June, Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere told analysts that FedEx healthcare transportation revenue reached nearly $10 billion in fiscal 2026.

Nick Gennari, FedEx’s president of healthcare, told CNBC that GLP-1 distribution is becoming more complex as products span injectable and oral formats and move through direct-to-consumer channels. He said FedEx uses technology including machine-learning tools that give customers predictive visibility into product movement and systems that identify healthcare shipments for tailored handling.

C.H. Robinson told CNBC it generated more than $1 billion in healthcare logistics revenue over the past year, with GLP-1 growth a major contributor. Ronnie Davis, vice president of North American surface transportation, said refrigerated supply resources are limited as specialized medicines compete for capacity and many drugs also have short shelf lives and strict delivery windows.

DHL is pursuing a larger health-logistics strategy. The company said last year it would invest 2 billion euros, equal to $2.25 billion, in health logistics by 2030, with half of that directed to the Americas. DHL Supply Chain Chief Executive Hendrik Venter told CNBC the company uses artificial intelligence to monitor life-sciences products, track temperatures and anticipate potential problems.

Venter said DHL has also created a pharmaceutical air corridor with dedicated aircraft and a connected network intended to reduce regulatory fragmentation in global shipments. He said pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing more warehousing to DHL, which then operates those sites and connects them with its broader logistics system.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.