DHL Group has confirmed its acquisition of CRYOPDP, a specialty courier focused on clinical trials, biopharmaceuticals, and cell and gene therapies. It is hoped this move will support DHL Group’s existing Life Sciences and Healthcare business, which it says generated over €5 billion (c. £4.2bn) in global revenue in 2024.

Specialising in providing white-glove courier services to the sectors it serves, CRYOPDP has operations in 15 different countries and handles over 600,000 shipments per year, servicing customers and patients in over 135 countries worldwide.

Oscar de Bok, CEO of DHL Supply Chain, commented: “The acquisition of CRYOPDP is a pivotal move for our supply chain business as we aim to expand our Pharma Specialized Network to meet the evolving needs of clinical trials, biopharma, and cell and 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 of Cryoport – the previous owner of CRYOPDP, commented: “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).”

DHL Group’s acquisition of CRYOPDP, it says, aligns with its ‘Strategy 2030′, which ’emphasises the importance of temperature-controlled networks, first- and last-mile specialty courier coverage, and integrated solutions’.