Pharma Cold Chain Logistics Market Size, Share, Growth and Forecast, 2025-2035

Biologics and vaccines keep temperature control essential

The global pharma cold chain logistics market was valued at USD 232.64 billion in 2025 and is projected to increase from USD 249.35 billion in 2026 to USD 465.51 billion by 2035, registering a CAGR of 7.18% during 2026–2035. Demand comes from vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, insulin, blood products, cell and gene therapies and clinical trial materials that lose potency outside narrow temperature ranges. North America held the largest regional share, 38.0% in 2025, because the United States hosts the largest biologics pipeline and dense networks of specialist couriers and temperature-controlled warehouses. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region at 8.41% a year, as India, China and Southeast Asia expand vaccine production and biologics exports. The commercial picture shifted in 2025, when large parcel carriers bought specialist healthcare couriers and packaging makers changed owners. As a result, buyers now choose between integrated carriers and focused thermal packaging suppliers.

Which temperature-controlled services does this analysis cover?

The analysis counts transportation, warehousing and storage, thermal packaging and related services used to move medicines and clinical materials at refrigerated, frozen, cryogenic or controlled room temperatures, valued at service provider prices. Drug manufacturers, clinical research sponsors, distributors and blood services buy these services through annual contracts, lane tenders and per-shipment orders.

Ambient medicine distribution, food cold chain and refrigeration equipment sold to end users sit outside the scope of this analysis. The value chain runs from packaging makers and monitoring device suppliers through freight forwarders, airlines, trucking firms and warehouse operators to wholesalers, hospitals, pharmacies and clinical trial sites.

Transportation leads as packaging and trial supply gain

Why does transportation account for most spending?

Based on service type, the market is categorized into transportation, warehousing and storage, packaging solutions and others. Transportation led with a 52.0% share of 2025 value, because every shipment needs a temperature-controlled move by air, road or sea. Packaging Solutions grow fastest at 7.78% a year, as reusable shippers, cryogenic containers and phase change materials replace simple foam boxes. Warehousing adds value through bonded and frozen storage near airports.

Which products drive most temperature-controlled shipments?

Based on application, the market is categorized into vaccines, biologics, clinical trial materials, blood and plasma products and others. Biologics led with a 46.0% share of 2025 value, because monoclonal antibodies, insulin and other biologic medicines need refrigerated handling from plant to patient. Clinical Trial Materials grow fastest at 7.75% a year, as cell and gene therapy trials need frozen and cryogenic shipments to many sites. Vaccines remain a large, steady base through routine immunization programs.

How do shippers choose between air, road and sea?

Based on mode of transport, the market is categorized into air transport, road transport, sea transport and rail transport. Road Transport led with a 48.0% share of 2025 value, because most deliveries to wholesalers, hospitals and pharmacies travel by refrigerated trucks and vans. Sea Transport grows fastest at 7.89% a year, as manufacturers move stable products into reefer containers to cut cost and emissions. Air freight remains essential for urgent, high-value and long-distance biologics shipments.

Biologic pipelines and vaccine programs drive shipments

How do biologic medicines raise temperature-control needs?

Biologic medicines form the largest source of demand, because proteins and antibodies degrade when they warm or freeze outside labeled ranges. Most of these products travel under refrigeration, and many need monitored storage at every handover between carriers. Insulin, antibody therapies and newer weight-loss injections all reach patients through refrigerated wholesale and pharmacy networks. As a result, each new biologic launch adds a product that needs validated cold handling for its entire life on the market, often across dozens of countries and several transport modes.

Why do routine immunization programs sustain vaccine shipments?

Routine immunization programs create steady demand, because vaccines must stay cold from the factory to the clinic. In July 2025, WHO and UNICEF reported that about 109 million infants, or 85%, received three doses of DTP-containing vaccine in 2024. About 115 million infants, or 89%, received at least one dose. However, 14.3 million infants received no vaccine at all, mostly in hard-to-reach areas. In turn, closing these gaps requires more refrigerated storage and last-mile transport in low- and middle-income countries, where networks remain thin.

Download Free Sample

How do distribution rules raise service requirements?

Distribution rules raise service requirements, because regulators expect wholesalers and carriers to protect medicine quality at every step. The European Medicines Agency describes good distribution practice as the minimum standards that a wholesale distributor must meet to maintain quality and integrity throughout the supply chain. These standards cover temperature mapping, monitoring, training and deviation handling. As a result, shippers prefer providers with validated lanes and documented quality systems, and they pay more for that assurance.

Why do decentralized trials and advanced therapies add shipments?

Clinical development adds high-value shipments, because sponsors send investigational products and samples to many sites and sometimes to patients' homes. Clinical trial supplies often travel frozen or cryogenic, and each kit needs tracking and return logistics. Cell and gene therapies add round trips, because patient cells travel to a manufacturing site and back. In turn, specialist couriers earn more per shipment than standard refrigerated freight, and demand rises with every new advanced therapy trial.

Specialist couriers and cryogenic shipping reshape supply

How are parcel carriers expanding into specialist healthcare logistics?

Large parcel carriers are shifting deeper into healthcare logistics, buying specialist couriers that already hold validated cold chain networks. In June 2025, DHL Group completed its acquisition of CRYOPDP, which handles over 600,000 shipments a year for clients in more than 135 countries. In November 2025, UPS completed its USD 1.6 billion acquisition of Andlauer Healthcare Group, a Canadian provider of refrigerated transport for medicines, vaccines and blood products. As a result, integrated carriers now compete directly with specialist couriers for temperature-controlled contracts.

Is cryogenic shipping rising with cell and gene therapies?

Cryogenic shipping is rising, because cell and gene therapies must stay frozen at very low temperatures from collection to infusion. In October 2025, Peli BioThermal acquired the Evo product line from BioLife Solutions, including cryogenic shippers and a tracking platform for this field. The deal widened its range beyond refrigerated and frozen containers. In turn, packaging makers that pair cryogenic hardware with tracking software can serve fast-growing therapy programs and charge higher prices per shipment.

Download Free Sample

Can certified air cargo lanes open premium revenue?

Certified air cargo lanes are a clear opening, because shippers of high-value biologics prefer airports and handlers with recognized pharmaceutical standards. The IATA CEIV Pharma program certifies that facilities, equipment, operations and staff meet the needs and expectations of drug manufacturers. Airports, airlines and forwarders use the certification to win long-term lane contracts. As a result, certified hubs in Europe, Asia and the Middle East can attract premium transit volumes from global drugmakers.

Where can Asia Pacific capacity win new contracts?

Asia Pacific capacity is an emerging opening, because vaccine makers and biologics exporters in India, China and Southeast Asia need more cold storage and certified transport. In March 2025, Cold Chain Technologies acquired Global Cold Chain Solutions, a passive packaging supplier based in Australia and India. The buyer said the region was seeing rapid investment across life sciences. In turn, providers that build local packaging, testing and warehousing capacity can win contracts as regional production expands.

Excursion risk, compliance cost and weak networks weigh

How do temperature excursions destroy shipment value?

Temperature excursions destroy value, because a single deviation can force a manufacturer to quarantine or discard an entire shipment. Delays at customs, airport tarmacs and transfer points cause many of these failures, especially on long routes with several handovers. Each loss also triggers investigation, documentation and replacement costs for the shipper. As a result, buyers demand temperature monitoring systems and contingency plans, which raise service cost.

Why does compliance raise operating costs?

Compliance raises operating costs, because providers must validate packaging, map warehouses and train staff to meet good distribution practice in every market they serve. Audits by drug manufacturers and regulators add recurring expense and can take months to complete. Smaller carriers often struggle to fund these quality systems across many countries. As a result, contracts concentrate among large providers, while small operators serve local routes under subcontracts.

Why do weak networks limit last-mile reach?

Weak infrastructure limits reach in many low- and middle-income countries, because unreliable power, poor roads and few refrigerated vehicles make last-mile delivery difficult. On the World Bank logistics index, India scored 3.4 and Brazil 3.2, well below the 4.3 for Singapore and 4.1 for Germany. These gaps raise spoilage risk for vaccines and biologics that travel to rural clinics. In turn, programs rely on solar refrigerators, cold boxes and donor funding to fill the shortfall.

How do sustainability goals pressure single-use packaging?

Sustainability goals pressure single-use packaging, because foam shippers and coolants create large volumes of waste after each delivery. Drug manufacturers have set emissions targets that include freight and packaging, so they ask suppliers for reusable and recyclable options. Reusable systems need return logistics, cleaning and tracking, which add cost and complexity. As a result, packaging makers must redesign products while keeping thermal performance and qualification records intact.

North America leads as Asia Pacific builds capacity

Why does North America hold the largest regional share?

North America held a 38.0% share of 2025 value and grows at 6.71% a year through 2035. The United States drives this position, because it hosts the largest biologics pipeline, many cell and gene therapy trials and dense specialist courier networks. UPS strengthened its Canadian healthcare network with the Andlauer acquisition in November 2025. However, high labor and fuel costs push shippers to optimize routes and reuse packaging, and the United States scored 3.8 on the World Bank logistics index.

How fast is Asia Pacific building cold chain capacity?

Asia Pacific held a 24.0% share of 2025 value and is the fastest-growing region at 8.41% a year. India and China are expanding vaccine production and biologics exports, which require certified cold storage and air lanes. Singapore scored 4.3 on the World Bank logistics index, the highest among the countries shown, and serves as a regional pharma hub. Packaging makers such as Cold Chain Technologies have added capacity in Australia and India.

Download Free Sample

What shapes demand across Europe?

Europe held a 28.0% share of 2025 value and grows at 6.51% a year, the slowest pace of the five regions. Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Ireland host large biologics plants that export worldwide through certified airports. Strict good distribution practice rules raise service standards and cost across the region. However, mature networks and price pressure from national health systems limit growth, while Germany and the Netherlands each scored 4.1 on the World Bank logistics index.

Where is Latin America adding demand?

Latin America held a 5.0% share of 2025 value and grows at 7.61% a year through 2035. Brazil and Mexico lead regional demand through public vaccine programs and growing biologics imports. Brazil scored 3.2 on the World Bank logistics index, which shows the infrastructure gap that providers must close.

What limits growth in the Middle East and Africa?

The Middle East and Africa held a 5.0% share of 2025 value and grows at 7.81% a year through 2035. Gulf airports add transit hubs for pharmaceutical cargo between Europe and Asia. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa still lack reliable power and refrigerated transport, which limits vaccine and biologics reach.

Download Free Sample

Acquisitions reshape temperature-controlled supply

Reusable shippers and live tracking lead innovation

• Reusable passive shippers use vacuum panels and phase change materials to hold temperature for several days, and they return to depots for reuse.
• Cryogenic dry vapor shippers keep cell and gene therapies frozen at very low temperatures, and Peli BioThermal added this capability through the Evo line.
• Connected data loggers report location and temperature in real time, which lets shippers act on delays before a product goes out of range.
• Solid carbon dioxide coolants remain a standard for frozen shipments, and dry ice supply affects lane reliability.

Packaging specialists compete with integrated carriers

Competition splits between thermal packaging specialists and integrated logistics carriers that move and store medicines. Cold Chain Technologies, CSafe, Peli BioThermal and Sonoco ThermoSafe supply qualified passive and active containers, and Sonoco completed the sale of ThermoSafe to Arsenal Capital Partners in November 2025 for up to USD 725 million. Cryopak, Intelsius, Temperpack and Nordic Cold Chain Solutions serve parcel shippers, clinical trial kits and specialty pharmacy deliveries. In Europe, SOFRIGAM and EMBALL'ISO supply insulated packaging for refrigerated and frozen medicines, while SEE became a private company in April 2026 at an enterprise value of USD 10.3 billion. Integrated carriers such as DHL and UPS bought specialist healthcare couriers in 2025 to offer end-to-end temperature-controlled service. As a result, packaging makers compete on thermal performance, reuse programs and qualification support, while carriers compete on network reach and certified lanes.

Companies profiled and their roles in this market

Value moves to validated, end-to-end thermal services

Credence Research's view is that value in pharma cold chain logistics will move toward validated, end-to-end thermal services through 2035, because shippers want one provider to manage packaging, transport, storage and monitoring. The overall market grows at 7.18% a year, supported by biologics launches, routine vaccination and advanced therapy trials. The best value opportunities sit in cryogenic shipping, reusable packaging and certified air lanes in Asia Pacific. Providers that pair qualified packaging with live tracking and wide networks will hold value as acquisitions reshape the supplier base.

How Credence Research sized temperature-controlled supply

The report uses 2025 as the base year and 2026 to 2035 as the forecast period. Market values come from the Credence Research model, which builds spending by service type, application, mode of transport and region. Regional and segment splits are Credence Research estimates informed by World Bank logistics data, WHO and UNICEF immunization estimates, European Medicines Agency and IATA guidance, and company press releases. No primary interviews or surveys were used in preparing this edition.

Temperature-controlled medicine supply outlook to 2035

By 2035, the pharma cold chain logistics market is projected to reach USD 465.51 billion, with growth led by biologics, clinical trial materials and thermal packaging. Transportation will remain the largest service type, but packaging and monitoring will take a larger share of each shipment budget. North America keeps the highest value, while Asia Pacific adds the most new capacity. Sea freight will carry more stable products as shippers cut cost and emissions. As a result, advantage will depend on validated networks, cryogenic capability and reuse programs.

Note: The depth of individual sections depends on data availability for this market. Volume, capacity, trade and other unit-based metrics are included where applicable.