2020 Cold Chain Forecast — Ushering In The Next Decade of Change

By Kevin Lawler, Pelican BioThermal Vice President of Sales

As we cross the threshold into a new decade in 2020, it’s a time to take stock of the significant changes that transformed the pharmaceutical cold chain industry during the past decade. The years from 2010 through 2019 indelibly altered the landscape of pharmaceutical development and delivery, introducing both life-saving breakthroughs and unprecedented business pressure.

A decade ago, costly biologics and a variety of cell and gene therapies were far outpaced by conventional chemical-based therapy. Traditional pricing models were standard practice. Technology was just trickling into healthcare with the push for electronic, portable health records. Sustainable practices were good to have — not a key decision-making factor.

With global pharmaceutical sales projected to climb to $1.18 trillion by 2024¹, it’s a certainty that change will continue into this next decade. The following four predictions are what we see on the immediate and not-so-distant horizon that will continue to transform the pharmaceutical and cold chain industries.