DHL strengthens health logistics, acquires CRYOPDP

DHL Group and Cryoport, a global provider of supply chain solutions for the life sciences sector, announced that DHL has acquired 100 percent of CRYOPDP, a leading specialty courier focused on clinical trials, biopharma, and cell and gene therapies.

"The companies also announced a strategic partnership to strengthen their supply chain service offerings for the global life sciences and healthcare sector," says an official release from DHL.

DHL Group has an established life sciences and healthcare business, contributing over €5 billion in global revenue in 2024, the release added. "Building on this foundation, the acquisition of CRYOPDP marks a significant step in DHL's commitment to enhancing its capabilities in specialised pharma logistics and expanding the breadth of its offering in the rapidly growing life science and healthcare sector. CRYOPDP specialises in providing white-glove courier services essential to the sectors it serves. With operations in 15 countries, CRYOPDP handles over 600,000 shipments per year, servicing customers and patients in over 135 countries worldwide.

Oscar de Bok, CEO, DHL Supply Chain says: "The acquisition of CRYOPDP is a pivotal move for our supply chain business as we aim to expand our pharma specialised network to meet the evolving needs of clinical trials, biopharma and cell & gene therapies, in addition to further increasing our footprint in the conventional pharma and life science healthcare segment. The acquisition of CRYOPDP and the extended partnership with Cryoport will enable us to deliver integrated end-to-end solutions, enhancing our service capabilities."

Jerrell Shelton, CEO, Cryoport adds: "We are indeed pleased to build on our trusted relationship with the DHL Group. Working together, we will bring an enhanced set of supply chain solutions to meet companies’ and patients’ critical supply chain needs. This strategic partnership taps into the strong expertise of DHL’s Supply Chain and CRYOPDP, presenting a substantial opportunity for Cryoport to further expand its reach to global growth markets such as Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)."

The acquisition aligns with DHL Group’s Strategy 2030, which emphasises the importance of temperature-controlled networks, first and last mile specialty courier coverage and integrated solutions. The move is also expected to yield cost savings and improve overall service levels, especially leveraging DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding air capabilities, ultimately enhancing DHL’s footprint in the high-value advanced pharma sector, the release added.