Advances in research and medical science are creating huge steps forward in the development of therapeutics for critically and seriously ill patients.
Many of these advanced therapeutics, including cell and gene therapies and biologics, are time-critical and temperature-sensitive and must reach the patient in optimal condition. This requires transportation, storage, and distribution at ultra-low temperatures at all stages from the manufacturing facility to the clinic.
These requirements, along with the increasing complexity of all parts of the supply chain, are making it more of a challenge for both large and small pharma and biotech companies to get these vital treatments into the hands of healthcare providers efficiently and cost-effectively.
An expanding global network
To meet the needs of the companies commercializing state-of-the-art treatments for vulnerable people and to solve the issues in the supply and logistics process, Cencora is investing to enhance its third-party logistics (3PL) service offering.
As the only international pharma 3PL provider, Cencora is expanding on recent investments in its UK, France, and Spain storage capacity with the acquisition of NextPharma Logistics, adding five warehouses in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. These additional integrated supply chain solutions include storage, distribution, serialization, quality assurance, and compliance management, along with temperature-controlled solutions, such as refrigerated and deep-frozen storage.
Further extending its reach across Europe, Cencora is also opening a 3PL facility near Milan in Italy in 2026, developing a dedicated specialty unit equipped with cryogenic technology in the Netherlands and increasing refrigerated and frozen storage capacity in France.
These together mean that Cencora can provide even more robust pan-European 3PL capabilities.
In the United States, the company is working on its fifth 3PL facility, a highly automated 500,000 square-foot facility in Dallas/Fort Worth in Texas. This is expected to be fully operational in 2028, significantly increasing Cencora’s capacity to store products at room, refrigerated, and frozen temperatures, including ultra-low and cryogenic storage.
“Over the recent years, we have more than tripled our ultra-low and cryogenic storage capacity across our 3PL network in the United States and this new facility in Dallas represents a significant milestone in our commitment to enhancing 3PL capabilities in North America,” says Albert Cooksey, Senior Vice President, ICS.
Albert continues: “By combining advanced automation with expanded temperature-controlled storage, including cryogenic solutions, we are not only meeting the growing needs of our clients but also ensuring critical therapies reach patients efficiently and securely.”
Integration leads to better access for patients
Integration simplifies supply chains, reduces vendor management burdens and accelerates commercialization, making the whole process of getting therapeutics to patients simpler and more time- and cost-effective for companies of all sizes.
“For everyone in the process it’s so important to remember that there are real patients at the end of the supply chain, and for them, access to treatment is vital. Because we can manage both storage and movement of clinical materials, we can help you with what matters most, which is delivering therapeutics to patients,” says Chris Williams, Senior Vice President, President, Alloga Europe and ICS.
Cencora’s 3PL solutions provide integrated storage, transport, and distribution capabilities throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain. These scalable solutions reduce vendor complexity and drive efficiency for therapeutics manufacturers of all sizes, helping you to get products to patients efficiently and securely.
“Acting as an extension of your operations team, we tailor our offerings to our clients’ needs at both ends of the spectrum. For small pharma and biotech companies, we guide them through every step of commercialization, from market access and regulatory compliance to global distribution,” said Alina Chesnokova, Vice President, Global 3PL Commercialization, Cencora. “For big pharma, we can provide seamless execution at scale, driving their cost efficiency.”
Cencora creates value beyond distribution through order-to-cash, both in-country and across borders, as well as network review services, relabelling and repackaging, title model programs, import/export and more.
Supporting healthcare now and in the future
Cencora’s goal is to maximize clients’ commercialization success by helping them where they need it most.
“We can do this because we are more than just a logistics company. We are a strategic enabler for healthcare who pride ourselves in designing solutions solving not only existing problems, but also preventing issues arising in the future,” says Chris Williams. “Most of all, we can do this because we listen to our clients and work hard to understand their needs.”
