Pharmaceutical Third Party Logistics Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts

The Pharmaceutical 3PL Market is Segmented by Service Type (Domestic Transportation Management and More), by Temperature Type (Cold Chain and Non-Cold Chain), by End User (Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and More), by Product Type (Prescription Drugs, Cell and Gene Therapies and More), and by Region (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Pharmaceutical 3PL Market Size and Share

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Pharmaceutical 3PL Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence

The pharmaceutical 3PL market stands at USD 68.03 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 97.94 billion by 2030, advancing at a 7.56% CAGR over the forecast period. The growth reflects the widening range of temperature-sensitive products, tougher distribution regulations, and heightened outsourcing by small and mid-sized drug makers. Competitive intensity is rising as integrators expand dedicated healthcare networks, and investments in digital monitoring technologies deliver end-to-end shipment visibility. Demand for ultra-cold capabilities, driven by cell and gene therapies, is pulling 3PL capital toward cryogenic freezers, liquid-nitrogen shippers, and real-time IoT tracking. In parallel, the surge in e-pharmacies is parceling supply chains and pushing last-mile operators to guarantee product integrity down to the patient's doorstep. Asia-Pacific’s manufacturing build-out and government healthcare spending amplify these trends, making the region the fastest-growing arena for specialized logistics contracts.

Key Report Takeaways

  • By service type, Domestic Transportation Management held 46% of the Pharmaceutical 3PL Market share in 2025. The Pharmaceutical 3PL Market for Value-Added Warehousing & Distribution is forecast to grow at an 8.4% CAGR between 2025-2030.
  • By temperature type, non-cold chain services accounted for 64% of the Pharmaceutical 3PL market size in 2025. The Pharmaceutical 3PL Market for cold-chain offerings is expanding at a 10.3% CAGR between 2025-2030.
  • By end user, pharmaceutical manufacturers commanded 49% of the Pharmaceutical 3PL market size in 2025. The Pharmaceutical 3PL Market for the e-pharmacy channel is advancing at an 11.4% CAGR between 2025-2030.
  • By product type, prescription drugs represented 55% of the pharmaceutical 3PL market share in 2025. The Pharmaceutical 3PL Market for while cell and gene therapies are set to rise at a 12.5% CAGR between 2025-2030.
  • By region, North America led with 34% of the Pharmaceutical 3PL market revenue share in 2025. The Pharmaceutical 3PL Market for Asia-Pacific is projected to post the fastest 10.8% CAGR between 2025-2030.

Segment Analysis

By Service Type: Value-Added Warehousing & Distribution Accelerates

The service-mix within the pharmaceutical 3PL market remains skewed toward Domestic Transportation Management, which accounted for 46% revenue in 2025. Yet the Value-Added Warehousing & Distribution sub-category is set to expand at an 8.4% CAGR, reflecting drug makers’ appetite for single-window partners able to store, kit, relabel, and comply with stringent sampling requirements. Providers differentiate by offering modular clean-rooms, serialization lines, and GDP-audited custody processes. The pharmaceutical 3PL market size for warehousing services should therefore outpace line-haul revenues as manufacturers incorporate postponement strategies and later-stage customization closer to end markets. Advanced warehouse-management systems, vertical racking, and energy-efficient refrigeration improve both cost and carbon metrics, reinforcing customer loyalty.

Domestic Transportation Management retains the scale advantage thanks to its embedded role in the daily replenishment of hospitals and pharmacies. However, pricing remains competitive and heavily dependent on fuel surcharges. International Transportation Management grows more slowly as cross-border regulatory divergence and modal congestion lengthen cycle times. Market leaders funnel capital into freight-forwarding control towers and customs-broker platforms, but smaller operators seek niche differentiation by specializing in clinical trials or named-patient imports, cushioning margin compression within the broader pharmaceutical 3PL market.

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Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Temperature Type: Cold Chain Outpaces Ambient

Non-cold services dominated 64% of 2025 revenue but are projected to lose mix as temperature-controlled lanes post a robust 10.3% CAGR. Ambient lanes nonetheless remain critical for over-the-counter analgesics, generics, and bulk excipients, constraining price hikes due to abundant carrier capacity. Conversely, cryogenic moves for cell & gene therapies command premium yields, often five to seven times higher than refrigerated tariffs. Such disparities compel operators to segment fleets and warehouses by lane-specific margin profiles, sharpening the strategic focus across the pharmaceutical 3PL market. 

Infrastructural investment concentrates on hybrid cold rooms that flex between 2 °C and –20 °C, backed by dual-redundant compressors and real-time validation. Where the pharmaceutical 3PL market share for frozen lanes approaches regulatory thresholds, carriers trial passive containers with phase-change materials to shrink dry-ice carbon footprints. Digital twin simulations flag potential bottlenecks, helping planners reroute around weather disruptions while maintaining validated temperature brackets.

By End User: E-Pharmacies Transform Fulfilment

Manufacturers still supplied 49% of the 2025 revenue pool, leveraging the pharmaceutical 3PL market for compliant storage and bulk distribution to wholesalers and hospital networks. Yet the direct-to-consumer subsector of e-pharmacies will climb at an 11.4% CAGR, fueled by prescription digitization and insurer incentives for home delivery. This shift multiplies stock-keeping units and accelerates pick-cycles, prompting 3PLs to retrofit facilities with automated dispensers, vision-based QA checks, and secure locker loading bays. 

Traceability legislation obliges serial-level scanning for each outbound parcel, raising the data burden. Providers that pair IoT beacons with AI route optimization can curtail spoilage risk and improve on-time performance, winning repeat business from tele-health platforms. The pharmaceutical 3PL industry, therefore, pivots from pallet-centric operations to parcelled networks, increasing demand for small-format insulated shippers and reusable packaging pools that trim waste and align with ESG goals.

Market Analysis of Pharmaceutical 3PL Market: Chart for End User
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Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Product Type: Cell & Gene Therapies Stretch Logistics

Prescription medicines delivered 55% of 2025 revenue, underpinned by long-established supply chains and predictable order patterns. The cold-chain subset within this segment nevertheless expands as biologics gain label share. Meanwhile, cell and gene therapies post a 12.5% CAGR and trigger unprecedented handling complexity across the pharmaceutical 3PL market size. Each personalized batch travels under chain-of-identity controls at cryogenic temperatures below –150 °C, leaving no room for replacement in case of excursion[3]CoverMyMeds, “Virtual Pharmacy Delivery Partnerships,” covermymeds.com

3PLs invest in vapour-phase LN2 shippers, redundant temperature probes, and 24/7 command centers staffed by life-science engineers. World Courier reports that nearly 60% of CGT developers expect cryogenic-transport demand to surge, validating this CapEx trajectory. The pharmaceutical 3PL market share for CGT lanes thus rises disproportionately to shipment volume, contributing outsized profitability but requiring rigorous SOP governance to pass sponsor audits and regulatory inspections.

Geography Analysis

North America accounted for 34% of global revenue in 2025, buoyed by robust biologics pipelines, advanced cold-chain capacity, and integrated regulatory frameworks. UPS alone targets USD 20 billion in healthcare logistics turnover by 2026, a goal underwritten by acquisitions such as Frigo-Trans, which bolsters multi-temperature offerings across continental corridors. The United States’ DSCSA rollout and Canada’s tightened Health Canada guidelines sustain demand for serialization, track-and-trace, and GDP-qualified personnel. As a result, the region’s pharmaceutical 3PL market cultivates premium-priced lanes and remains a bellwether for service innovation.

Asia-Pacific will post the strongest 10.8% CAGR through 2030, propelled by manufacturing scale-ups in China and India and widened insurance coverage in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. China Resources Pharmaceutical’s partnerships with Pfizer and AstraZeneca illustrate the shift toward integrated warehousing and distribution platforms that span B2B and direct-to-patient channels. Japanese incumbents such as ALPS LOGISTICS and MITSUI-SOKO broaden cryogenic networks, while Singapore’s GDP-certified free-trade zone warehousing reinforces the city-state’s hub status. Infrastructure gaps persist in secondary cities, but national logistics corridors, highway upgrades, and customs digitalization narrow the service-level divide.

Europe maintains a sizeable share underpinned by strict GDP oversight and resilient life-science clusters in Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland. The European Medicines Agency’s resumed inspections stress continuous temperature documentation, spurring carriers to retrofit fleets with calibrated IoT sensors. Cross-border complexity after Brexit and the Windsor Framework forces distributors serving Northern Ireland to dual-qualify processes under both EU and UK statutes, elevating compliance overhead. Operational resilience remains high as trans-European rail and road corridors integrate with well-established air-cargo gateways at Frankfurt, Amsterdam-Schiphol, and Liege.

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Competitive Landscape

Competition in the pharmaceutical 3PL market balances scale economics against niche specialization. DHL Supply Chain, UPS Healthcare, and FedEx Custom Critical anchor the top tier, leveraging multi-continent networks, GDP-compliant facilities, and aggressive acquisition pipelines. DHL’s USD 2.2 billion five-year investment plan targets network densification and doubled life-science revenue by 2030, aided by its 2025 takeover of Cryopdp, a clinical-trial courier. UPS mirrors that strategy with purchases of temperature-controlled specialists Frigo-Trans and BPL, consolidating capabilities across Europe and North America.

Mid-cap players such as World Courier, Marken, and GEODIS carve defensible niches by excelling in time-critical therapeutic areas, clinical-trial supply, and value-added analytics. Their agility and therapy-specific know-how often attract biotech sponsors seeking bespoke solutions outside global integrators’ standardized playbooks. Technology differentiators include blockchain-enabled provenance, digital twins for route simulation, and AI-assisted demand forecasting. Barriers to entry rise as certification costs, cryogenic infrastructure, and cybersecurity mandates escalate, yet regional champions still emerge by mastering local regulatory requirements and building pharmacist-level competence among frontline staff.

Long-run competitive advantage hinges on continuous innovation in packaging sustainability, carbon-neutral lane design, and integrated billing-plus-compliance dashboards. Partnerships with packaging manufacturers, sensor providers, and cloud analytics firms will dictate future winners as the pharmaceutical 3PL market shifts from transactional freight transactions to data-rich, risk-managed supply chain orchestration.

Pharmaceutical 3PL Industry Leaders

  1. DHL Supply Chain & Global Forwarding

  2. Kuehne + Nagel International AG

  3. UPS Healthcare

  4. FedEx Logistics

  5. DB Schenker

  6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Pharmaceutical 3PL Market Concentration
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Recent Industry Developments

  • April 2025: DHL Group acquired Cryopdp, strengthening specialized pharma logistics for clinical trials and biopharma products.
  • March 2025: DHL Group announced plans to double Life Science and Healthcare revenue to EUR 10 billion (USD 11.43 billion) by 2030 through expanded GDP-compliant facilities.
  • January 2025: UPS finalized purchases of Frigo-Trans and BPL, enhancing temperature-controlled capacity in Europe.
  • January 2025: DHL Supply Chain agreed to acquire Inmar Supply Chain Solutions, enlarging its pharmaceutical 3PL presence in North America.

Table of Contents for Pharmaceutical 3PL Industry Report

1. Introduction

  • 1.1 Study Assumptions
  • 1.2 Scope of the Study

2. Research Methodology

3. Executive Summary

4. Market Landscape

  • 4.1 Market Overview
  • 4.2 Market Drivers
    • 4.2.1 Rise of Specialty Biologics Requiring Strict Cold-Chain Compliance
    • 4.2.2 SME Pharma Outsourcing to 3PLs in Emerging Countries
    • 4.2.3 Stringent GDP Regulations Driving Real-time Monitoring Investments
    • 4.2.4 E-pharmacy Parcelization Boosting Last-Mile Temperature-Control Needs
    • 4.2.5 Post-COVID Vaccine Pipeline Acceleration Globally
    • 4.2.6 End-to-End Visibility via IoT and Blockchain Adoption
  • 4.3 Market Restraints
    • 4.3.1 Cold-Chain Infrastructure Deficit in developing regions
    • 4.3.2 Intense Cost-Pressure from Pharma Tendering Models
    • 4.3.3 Cross-border Regulatory Divergence Complicating Trade Flows
    • 4.3.4 GDP-Trained Labor Shortage in Warehousing and Trucking industry
  • 4.4 Value / Supply-Chain Analysis
  • 4.5 Regulatory Outlook (GDP Compliance, DSCSA, EU-FMD, China GSP etc.)
  • 4.6 Technological Trends and Digitalization (IoT, RFID, Control-Tower Platforms etc.)
  • 4.7 Packaging Innovations (Smart Data-Loggers, Eco-PCM Boxes)
  • 4.8 Impact of Geopolitical Events on the Market
  • 4.9 Porter’s Five Forces
    • 4.9.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
    • 4.9.2 Bargaining Power of Customers
    • 4.9.3 Threat of New Entrants
    • 4.9.4 Threat of Substitutes
    • 4.9.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

5. Market Size and Growth Forecasts (Value)

  • 5.1 By Service Type
    • 5.1.1 Domestic Transportation Management (DTM)
    • 5.1.1.1 Roadways
    • 5.1.1.2 Railways
    • 5.1.1.3 Airways
    • 5.1.1.4 Waterways
    • 5.1.2 International Transportation Management (ITM)
    • 5.1.2.1 Roadways
    • 5.1.2.2 Railways
    • 5.1.2.3 Airways
    • 5.1.2.4 Waterways
    • 5.1.3 Value-Added Warehousing and Distribution (VAWD)
  • 5.2 By Temperature Type
    • 5.2.1 Cold Chain
    • 5.2.2 Non-cold Chain
  • 5.3 By End User
    • 5.3.1 Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
    • 5.3.2 Biotech and Biosimilar Manufacturers
    • 5.3.3 Clinical Research and Trial Sponsors
    • 5.3.4 Hospitals and Retail Pharmacies
    • 5.3.5 Healthcare Distributors and Wholesalers
    • 5.3.6 E-pharmacies and Direct-to-Patient Services
  • 5.4 By Product Type
    • 5.4.1 Prescription Drugs
    • 5.4.2 OTC and Consumer Health Products
    • 5.4.3 Biopharmaceuticals and Biosimilars (ex-CGT)
    • 5.4.4 Cell and Gene Therapies
    • 5.4.5 Vaccines and Blood-derived Products
    • 5.4.6 Veterinary Pharmaceuticals and Animal Health Products
    • 5.4.7 Medical Devices, Diagnostics and Combination Products
    • 5.4.8 Clinical-trial Materials (Investigational Medicinal Products)
    • 5.4.9 Others
  • 5.5 By Region
    • 5.5.1 North America
    • 5.5.1.1 United States
    • 5.5.1.2 Canada
    • 5.5.1.3 Mexico
    • 5.5.2 South America
    • 5.5.2.1 Brazil
    • 5.5.2.2 Argentina
    • 5.5.2.3 Chile
    • 5.5.2.4 Rest of South America
    • 5.5.3 Europe
    • 5.5.3.1 Germany
    • 5.5.3.2 United Kingdom
    • 5.5.3.3 France
    • 5.5.3.4 Spain
    • 5.5.3.5 Italy
    • 5.5.3.6 Netherlands
    • 5.5.3.7 Russia
    • 5.5.3.8 Rest of Europe
    • 5.5.4 Asia-Pacific
    • 5.5.4.1 China
    • 5.5.4.2 India
    • 5.5.4.3 Japan
    • 5.5.4.4 South Korea
    • 5.5.4.5 Singapore
    • 5.5.4.6 Vietnam
    • 5.5.4.7 Indonesia
    • 5.5.4.8 Australia
    • 5.5.4.9 Rest of Asia-Pacific
    • 5.5.5 Middle East
    • 5.5.5.1 United Arab Emirates
    • 5.5.5.2 Saudi Arabia
    • 5.5.5.3 Turkey
    • 5.5.5.4 Israel
    • 5.5.5.5 Rest of Middle East
    • 5.5.6 Africa
    • 5.5.6.1 South Africa
    • 5.5.6.2 Egypt
    • 5.5.6.3 Nigeria
    • 5.5.6.4 Kenya
    • 5.5.6.5 Rest of Africa

6. Competitive Landscape

  • 6.1 Market Concentration
  • 6.2 Strategic Moves (MandA, JVs, Investments)
  • 6.3 Market Share Analysis
  • 6.4 Company Profiles (includes Global level Overview, Market level overview, Core Segments, Financials as available, Strategic Information, Market Rank/Share for key companies, Products and Services, and Recent Developments)
    • 6.4.1 DHL Supply Chain and Global Forwarding
    • 6.4.2 Kuehne + Nagel International AG
    • 6.4.3 UPS Healthcare
    • 6.4.4 FedEx Logistics
    • 6.4.5 DB Schenker
    • 6.4.6 Nippon Express Co., Ltd.
    • 6.4.7 CEVA Logistics
    • 6.4.8 Kerry Logistics Network
    • 6.4.9 Agility Logistics
    • 6.4.10 XPO Logistics
    • 6.4.11 Yusen Logistics
    • 6.4.12 Movianto (Walden Group)
    • 6.4.13 SF Express (Health)
    • 6.4.14 DSV Panalpina A/S
    • 6.4.15 Catalent Clinical Supply Services
    • 6.4.16 JAS Worldwide Pharma and Healthcare
    • 6.4.17 Bolloré Logistics
    • 6.4.18 Sinotrans
    • 6.4.19 Bomi Group
    • 6.4.20 Biocair
    • 6.4.21 GEODIS
    • 6.4.22 World Courier (Cencora)
    • 6.4.23 Marken
    • 6.4.24 Fiege Pharma Logistics
    • 6.4.25 Kintetsu World Express
    • 6.4.26 Almac Group Clinical Services

7. Market Opportunities and Future Outlook

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Global Pharmaceutical 3PL Market Report Scope

Pharmaceutical 3PL refers to the safe and efficient delivery of pharmaceutical drug products to benefit patient health. The pharmaceutical 3PL market is segmented by function (domestic transportation management, international transportation management, and value-added warehousing and distribution), supply chain (cold chain and non-cold chain), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and Middle-East and Africa). The report offers the market size and forecasts in value (USD billion) for all the above segments.

By Service Type Domestic Transportation Management (DTM) Roadways
Railways
Airways
Waterways
International Transportation Management (ITM) Roadways
Railways
Airways
Waterways
Value-Added Warehousing and Distribution (VAWD)
By Temperature Type Cold Chain
Non-cold Chain
By End User Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Biotech and Biosimilar Manufacturers
Clinical Research and Trial Sponsors
Hospitals and Retail Pharmacies
Healthcare Distributors and Wholesalers
E-pharmacies and Direct-to-Patient Services
By Product Type Prescription Drugs
OTC and Consumer Health Products
Biopharmaceuticals and Biosimilars (ex-CGT)
Cell and Gene Therapies
Vaccines and Blood-derived Products
Veterinary Pharmaceuticals and Animal Health Products
Medical Devices, Diagnostics and Combination Products
Clinical-trial Materials (Investigational Medicinal Products)
Others
By Region North America United States
Canada
Mexico
South America Brazil
Argentina
Chile
Rest of South America
Europe Germany
United Kingdom
France
Spain
Italy
Netherlands
Russia
Rest of Europe
Asia-Pacific China
India
Japan
South Korea
Singapore
Vietnam
Indonesia
Australia
Rest of Asia-Pacific
Middle East United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
Israel
Rest of Middle East
Africa South Africa
Egypt
Nigeria
Kenya
Rest of Africa
By Service Type
Domestic Transportation Management (DTM) Roadways
Railways
Airways
Waterways
International Transportation Management (ITM) Roadways
Railways
Airways
Waterways
Value-Added Warehousing and Distribution (VAWD)
By Temperature Type
Cold Chain
Non-cold Chain
By End User
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Biotech and Biosimilar Manufacturers
Clinical Research and Trial Sponsors
Hospitals and Retail Pharmacies
Healthcare Distributors and Wholesalers
E-pharmacies and Direct-to-Patient Services
By Product Type
Prescription Drugs
OTC and Consumer Health Products
Biopharmaceuticals and Biosimilars (ex-CGT)
Cell and Gene Therapies
Vaccines and Blood-derived Products
Veterinary Pharmaceuticals and Animal Health Products
Medical Devices, Diagnostics and Combination Products
Clinical-trial Materials (Investigational Medicinal Products)
Others
By Region
North America United States
Canada
Mexico
South America Brazil
Argentina
Chile
Rest of South America
Europe Germany
United Kingdom
France
Spain
Italy
Netherlands
Russia
Rest of Europe
Asia-Pacific China
India
Japan
South Korea
Singapore
Vietnam
Indonesia
Australia
Rest of Asia-Pacific
Middle East United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
Israel
Rest of Middle East
Africa South Africa
Egypt
Nigeria
Kenya
Rest of Africa
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Key Questions Answered in the Report

What is the projected growth rate of the pharmaceutical 3PL market between 2025 and 2030?

The pharmaceutical 3PL market is forecast to expand at a 7.56% CAGR, rising from USD 68.03 billion in 2025 to USD 97.94 billion by 2030.

Which service segment is expected to grow the fastest?

Value-Added Warehousing & Distribution leads with an 8.4% CAGR, reflecting demand for integrated storage, inventory and packaging services.

Why is Asia-Pacific the fastest-growing region for pharmaceutical 3PL services?

Manufacturing scale-ups in China and India, rising healthcare spending and ongoing infrastructure upgrades lift the region toward a 10.8% CAGR.

How are e-pharmacies changing pharmaceutical logistics?

E-pharmacies increase parcel-level, temperature-controlled deliveries directly to patients, boosting last-mile complexity and driving 11.4% CAGR for this end-user segment.

What technologies are most critical for ensuring compliance in pharmaceutical logistics?

IoT sensors for real-time monitoring, blockchain for immutable traceability and digital-twin analytics for proactive lane management are now central to GDP compliance.

What makes cell & gene therapy logistics uniquely challenging for 3PLs?

These therapies require cryogenic conditions below –150 °C, strict chain-of-identity processes and rapid, individualized delivery windows, demanding specialized infrastructure and 24/7 oversight.

Pharmaceutical 3PL Market Report Snapshots

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