Temperature-controlled pharmaceutical shipments make up about 4% of all air cargo tonnage annually transported around the world. Increasingly, this commodity type comes in the form of small parcels, with forecasts predicting double-digit growth in this particular segment over the coming years. Size is just one aspect when it comes to designing transport solutions. In the following article, CargoForwarder Global’s guest author, Delphine Perridy, Chief Commercial Officer at Envirotainer, addresses why small parcels are a big test for contract pharma.
In today’s pharmaceutical landscape, complexity is the new normal. With decentralized clinical trials, personalised medicines and direct-to-patient therapies on the rise, pharma supply chains must move faster, smarter and more precisely than ever before. As these needs grow, so too does the role of small parcel shipments.
For contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), small parcels have become an essential link between breakthrough therapies and the patients who need them. But they also introduce a unique set of risks and opportunities, especially where CDMOs are tasked with managing multiple clients’ needs at pace. Every shipment must meet meticulous temperature control and stringent regulatory compliance requirements, while also offering full visibility and risk mitigation across the entire shipment journey.
These non-negotiable requirements are driving CDMOs to increasingly rely on trusted partners to meet this evolving demand.
The rising stakes of small shipments
While commercial-scale bulk shipments still form the backbone of pharmaceutical logistics, the surge in small parcel demand, particularly for clinical trials and advanced therapies, is reshaping the market. But these advancements come with added complexity.
Small parcels need to move quickly, often through multiple handovers, border checks and last-mile courier networks with zero room for error. Routes can span continents, passing through unpredictable climates and variable infrastructure. With treatments often time-sensitive and patient specific, even minor delays or temperature excursions could lead to compromised efficacy, disrupted care, costly reshipments or treatment failure.
With therapies becoming increasingly sensitive and time-critical, the margin for error is shrinking. Every shipment must deliver on precision, speed and security.
Smarter packaging technologies
To protect these high-value shipments, the industry is turning to advanced packaging technologies, with a combination of hardware (PCMs and VIPs), alongside data visibility and reusable, sustainable infrastructure.
Recent innovations in the sector such as Phase Change Materials (PCMs) and Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs) help maintain consistent internal conditions and protect products from external shocks in transit, even when environments fluctuate.
These innovations not only improve temperature control but also support organizations to meet global GDP requirements and regulations across multiple regions. These solutions offer under-pressure CDMOs an efficient way to ensure service quality whilst maintaining efficiency.
The delicate balance required to ensure efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability
Governments and healthcare providers are increasingly demanding sustainability from every part of the supply chain. CDMOs must now factor in environmental goals, regulatory compliance and client expectations with every packaging decision.
Meeting sustainability requirements is a non-negotiable, with the industry working towards achieving a green supply chain in 2030. Contract pharma organizations must include ESG within their decision making, selecting providers that offer reusable solutions which both reduce waste and minimize carbon emissions. Packaging that ensures temperature excursions and product loss is minimal, will mean that there will be fewer occasions where products need reshipping, supporting both environmental targets and cost efficiency simultaneously.
Forever-use packaging is an increasingly popular choice here. By reducing waste, limiting the need for reshipments and lowering carbon emissions, forever-use containers are often seen as the gold standard. However, they aren’t always viable, especially on complex or remote routes where infrastructure is limited or return logistics unfeasible.
In these circumstances, CDMOs should look for reliable and resilient single-use options so that vital medicines can reach even the most inaccessible areas. Smart packaging choices are at the heart of resilient and responsible small parcel supply chains.
Navigating tomorrow’s cold chain
As demand for small parcel shipments grows, so does the need for close collaboration across the supply chain. For CDMOs, the ability to scale compliant, high-performing packaging quickly is a competitive advantage. But they can’t do this alone.
Strategic partnerships across the supply chain will enable CDMOs to access specialized technologies, shared insights and flexible infrastructure that adapts to shifting regulatory and patient needs. These partnerships reduce costs, drive innovation and help CDMOs respond faster and more safely to global demand.
The benefits of lasting partnerships between pharmaceutical companies, CDMOs and cold chain experts are clear: increased operational efficiency, reduced costs, stronger resilience and better patient outcomes.
Small parcels, big impact
Small parcels may seem simple on the surface, but they’re often one of the most complex pieces in the supply chain. As pharmaceutical innovation accelerates and therapies become more targeted, these shipments will only grow in importance.
For CDMOs, now is the time to futureproof logistics strategies by investing in smarter packaging, embracing sustainability and building collaborative frameworks that enable safe, timely and compliant delivery. Because in today’s pharmaceutical supply chain, even the smallest shipments carry the greatest responsibility.
Delphine Perridy, CCO at Envirotainer
