FedEx Europe Launches Portal to Improve Pharma Logistics

The end-of-year peak season brings a surge in pharmaceutical shipping activity across Europe, with volumes for major logistics companies such as FedEx sometimes reaching a peak of two million packages a day.

Preparing for this increase in demand, while maintaining the integrity of temperature-sensitive, patient-critical medicines, places additional strain on pharmaceutical supply chains. 

To help customers prepare for these challenges, FedEx Europe has launched a digital portal enabling pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to book and manage temperature-controlled shipments.

Available across 26 European markets, the platform provides access to FedEx's Temp-Assure Advantage solution. Customers can onboard, order pre-conditioned packaging, schedule shipments and manage returns through a streamlined digital experience, helping them coordinate critical deliveries more efficiently.

“The portal helps provide greater visibility and control throughout the shipping process, supporting more efficient planning and execution,” says Toby Hay, Managing Director of International Marketing at FedEx Europe.

“While it does not simplify the complexity of healthcare logistics itself, it helps customers manage shipments more effectively, maintain operational continuity and respond more quickly to changing business needs.”

Maintaining temperature integrity across Europe

FedEx Temp-Assure Advantage supports frozen shipments (-25°C to -15°C), refrigerated shipments (2°C to 8°C) and controlled room temperature shipments (15°C to 25°C).

The solution combines qualified packaging, tested in FedEx's packaging laboratory, with the company's European transportation network to help maintain temperature integrity from origin to destination.

Vacuum-insulated packaging and phase-change materials help maintain the required temperatures for more than 96 hours. Meanwhile, CEIV Pharma-certified facilities and standardised processes support control, visibility and compliance throughout transit.

The solution also incorporates reusable packaging, with containers collected, refurbished and redeployed to help reduce waste while maintaining performance standards.

These capabilities are increasingly important as pharmaceutical pipelines expand to include more biologics, specialty medicines and vaccines, many of which require tightly controlled storage and transportation conditions.

“Many modern therapies are increasingly temperature-sensitive and often move across multiple countries between manufacturing sites, laboratories, distribution centres and hospitals,” Toby explains.

“In this environment, maintaining temperature integrity is essential, but visibility and the ability to anticipate potential disruptions are becoming equally important.”

The challenge becomes particularly acute for medicines that must reach patients within tightly defined time frames, where temperature control is only one part of a more complex logistical process.

The radioligand scenario

The logistical requirements associated with radioligand therapies (RLTs) illustrate the challenges involved in transporting specialist medicines.

These targeted, radioactive cancer treatments require close coordination between manufacturing, logistics and clinical administration.

Novartis, a leader in RLT development, operates a supply chain designed to deliver these made-to-order medicines within a 72-hour window. Speaking at Supply Chain LIVE in September 2026, Steffen Lang, President of Operations at Novartis, highlighted the role of technology in managing the complexity of this process.

“Technological development,” Steffen said, “is a game changer and will continue to be, because within this condensed timeframe, we could not manage the process in a traditional way.”

While digital systems help coordinate manufacturing and delivery within these narrow time frames, the physical transportation requirements are equally important.

Novartis' RLT portfolio includes Pluvicto and Lutathera, both of which have specific storage and handling requirements. Pluvicto must be stored below 30°C and must not be frozen, while Lutathera must be stored below 25°C and must not be frozen.

Both products must also remain in their original lead-shielded packaging to provide protection against ionising radiation.

These requirements highlight why pharmaceutical logistics cannot rely on speed alone. Shipments must arrive within the necessary treatment window while maintaining the conditions required for product quality, safe handling and clinical use.

Although FedEx's Temp-Assure Advantage temperature ranges are designed to support a broad range of pharmaceutical shipments, the appropriate transport solution must be matched to the requirements of each individual medicine.

As pharmaceutical supply chains become more specialised and time-sensitive, digital booking tools and temperature-controlled transport capabilities will play an ever-growing role in helping companies coordinate deliveries, maintain product integrity and ensure medicines reach patients when they are needed.

FedEx – key partners

ServiceNow

CEO: Bill McDermott | HQ: Santa Clara, California

FedEx and ServiceNow are expanding their strategic collaboration to integrate logistics intelligence into enterprise workflows. Announced in May 2026, the partnership combines FedEx Dataworks' supply chain insights with ServiceNow's workflow automation capabilities, initially targeting procurement and supply chain management. The collaboration aims to improve visibility, exception management and customer experiences through AI-enabled tools.

Cardinal Health

CEO: Jason Hollar | HQ: Dublin, Ohio

FedEx and Cardinal Health formed a strategic alliance to combine global transportation with healthcare distribution and third-party logistics expertise. Announced in 2013, the collaboration supports tailored supply chain services for healthcare manufacturers and providers, including inventory visibility, hospital delivery and direct-to-patient services. The partnership illustrates how logistics networks can complement specialist pharmaceutical distribution capabilities.

Orbis International

CEO: Derek Hodkey | HQ: New York City

FedEx works with Orbis International, a non-profit organisation focused on preventing avoidable blindness, supporting its eye-care programmes and Flying Eye Hospital. In July 2026, the organisations announced collaboration to expand access to eye care in Vietnam, including training and knowledge exchange for healthcare professionals. This partnership demonstrates FedEx's role in supporting healthcare delivery beyond commercial pharmaceutical logistics.