1 in 8 Americans now take GLP-1 drugs — UPS is investing $48 million to keep them cold

As request for GLP-1 drugs grows, logistics companies are investing successful temperature-controlled facilities to support the medications moving safely done the proviso chain.

To support pace, United Parcel Service (UPS) is investing $48 cardinal to grow its planetary healthcare logistics network, according to an exclusive CNBC study (1).

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The institution is adding 27 cold-chain facilities crossed the Americas, Europe and Asia to transport medicines that necessitate strict refrigeration. UPS said the enlargement volition assistance determination delicate pharmaceutical products much rapidly portion strengthening visibility and oversight passim the transportation process.

In a connection to Moneywise, a UPS spokesperson said newer therapies are changing however medications are transported and handled.

"We're seeing a wide displacement successful healthcare toward treatments that are much specialized, delicate and little forgiving to determination peculiarly biologics and the roar successful newer therapies similar GLP‑1s that request to enactment wrong a circumstantial somesthesia scope the full time," the spokesperson said successful an email.

Demand is rising

The concern comes arsenic request for temperature-sensitive medicines continues to grow. Research steadfast Growth Market Reports projects the marketplace for temperature-sensitive biologics volition turn astatine an 8.3% compound yearly complaint done 2033, driven successful portion by the accelerated adoption of GLP-1 medications (2).

One origin down that maturation is the accelerated adoption of GLP-1 medications. Nearly 1 successful 8 U.S. adults person taken a GLP-1 drug, according to a 2025 KFF canvass (3).

At the aforesaid time, prescriptions for obesity-related GLP-1 drugs surged astir 587% betwixt 2019 and 2024, according to FAIR Health (4), portion analysts expect the planetary marketplace for the medications to attack $200 cardinal by 2030 (5).

Medications similar Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic person to enactment refrigerated portion they're transported to stay effective, making dependable cold-chain shipping much important than ever.

The request goes beyond weight-loss drugs. The World Health Organization estimates that astir fractional of each vaccines are wasted each year, successful portion due to the fact that of failures successful temperature-controlled retention and proscription (6).