GLP-1 cold storage rush puts UPS, FedEx and DHL on the clock

The GLP-1 cold storage boom is pulling the world’s biggest logistics companies deeper into healthcare, as UPS, FedEx, DHL and C.H. Robinson build out systems for moving medicines that can’t get too warm.

CNBC reported that demand for specialized drugs, including GLP-1 medications, is pushing shipping companies to spend millions on temperature-controlled facilities and tighter tracking for pharmaceutical deliveries.

Many injectable GLP-1 drugs need refrigeration during shipment, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, according to CNBC. The Food and Drug Administration has warned that poor storage during shipping can harm drug quality and advises patients not to use GLP-1 drugs that arrive warm or without enough refrigeration.

Why do GLP-1 drugs need cold storage?

GLP-1 medicines are part of a broader group of healthcare products that can lose effectiveness if they are not kept within the right temperature range. CNBC reported that other biologics, including some vaccines, insulin and antibiotics, also need specialized shipping to preserve their quality.

The demand spike is hard to miss. A July Gallup poll cited by CNBC found that 11% of Americans said they take GLP-1 drugs for weight loss in 2026, up from 3% in 2024.

Cold-chain logistics for biologics are also expected to keep growing. Growth Market Reports projected that demand for temperature-sensitive biologics will rise at an 8.3% compound annual growth rate through 2033, reaching about $39.1 billion, according to CNBC.

UPS and FedEx chase the healthcare shipment boom

UPS announced in June that it would put $48 million into temperature-controlled facilities, CNBC reported. On an April earnings call, UPS CEO Carol Tomé said the company’s global healthcare business has gained market share each year since 2021 and posted its first $3 billion healthcare revenue quarter in the first quarter of this year.

John Bolla, UPS president of healthcare, told CNBC that more healthcare companies are seeking partners that can handle rising shipment volume. He said UPS is seeing fast growth in biologics, cell therapies and gene therapies, where a small temperature mistake can spoil the medicine.

FedEx has also moved more aggressively into the sector. CNBC reported that the company launched a dedicated life sciences organization this month to support pharmaceutical and healthcare product shipments.

FedEx Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere told analysts on a June earnings call that healthcare transportation revenue reached nearly $10 billion in fiscal 2026. Nick Gennari, FedEx’s president of healthcare, told CNBC that GLP-1 delivery is getting more complicated as products include injectables, oral pills and direct-to-consumer shipments.

Gennari said FedEx is using technology that lets customers track product movement with predictive tools and identify healthcare shipments so they can be handled according to their specific needs, CNBC reported.

C.H. Robinson and DHL see pressure on cold supply chains

C.H. Robinson told CNBC it topped $1 billion in healthcare logistics revenue over the past year, helped largely by GLP-1 growth, while investing in temperature-controlled facilities.

Ronnie Davis, the company’s vice president of North American surface transportation, told CNBC that many medicines also have short shelf lives and tight delivery windows. He said the rise of GLP-1s and other specialized drugs is increasing competition for refrigerated shipping resources that are limited.

DHL is making its own big bet. CNBC reported that DHL plans to invest 2 billion euros, or $2.25 billion, in health logistics by 2030, with half of that marked for the Americas.

DHL Supply Chain CEO Hendrik Venter told CNBC that the company uses artificial intelligence to monitor critical life sciences products, track temperatures and anticipate possible problems. He also said DHL has launched a pharmaceutical air corridor with dedicated aircraft and a connected network designed to keep drugs moving through controlled shipping routes.

The push follows the pandemic-era spotlight on temperature-controlled vaccine delivery. Now, CNBC reported, the same kind of precision is becoming a bigger business line as drugmakers bring more specialized medicines to market.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.