UPS is planning to invest $48 million to upgrade 27 temperature-controlled cold chain facilities, as it looks to keep up with growing demand for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals.
According to CNBC, the facilities are located across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and are designed to store shipments that need to be kept at temperatures anywhere between 32 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. UPS said that the $48 million investment will be used to boost delivery speeds, and improve its ability to safely transport temperature-sensitive medicines throughout its global network.
Read More: The GLP Effect — How Weight Loss Drugs are Reshaping Food and Pharma
"We're outpacing the competition as we invest in our global cross-dock facilities to strengthen our end-to-end cold-chain capabilities to ensure critical treatments are delivered safely and reliably to patients around the world," said Kate Gutmann, EVP and President of International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions at UPS.
In data shared in April, UPS revealed that it had grown its share of the healthcare market each year dating back to 2021, and that Q1 of 2026 marked the first time its healthcare division had brought in more than $3 billion in revenue in a single quarter. UPS also acquired Canadian cold chain 3PL company Andlauer Healthcare Group for $1.6 billion in November 2025.
Data from Growth Market Reports estimates that the temperature-sensitive biologics sector will grow by roughly 8.3% annually between now and 2033, while consultancy firm Grand View Research expects the healthcare cold chain 3PL market to grow from $45 billion in 2025 to $83 billion in 2033. In a fall 2025 survey, the Kaiser Family Foundation also found that one in every eight people reported taking a GLP-1 drug. When it's transported, the popular weight loss medication must be kept at 35-46 degrees Fahrenheit from warehouse to pharmacy in order to remain stable.
GLP-1s aren't the only pharmaceuticals driving the demand for better cold chain infrastructure either. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly half of global vaccines are wasted each year, much of which is blamed on poor cold chain management. And even beyond vaccines and GLP-1s, a growing pipeline of specialty medicines is expected to further increase demand for sophisticated cold chain services. Clinical research company IQVIA estimates that half of all new medicines launched during the 2023-2027 period will require cold storage, up from 37% between 2013 and 2017, and 45% between 2018 and 2022.
.png?ar=16%3A9&auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=135&q=70&w=240)
