How AI and CGTs Are Reshaping Pharma 3PL

In the second part of his video interview with Pharmaceutical Commerce, Danny Williams, president of channel management and 3PL at EVERSANA, covers two of the most consequential developments reshaping pharma logistics right now: the operationalization of artificial intelligence (AI) across supply chain functions, and the unique demands that cell and gene therapies (CGTs) place on 3PL infrastructure.

On the AI front, Williams is direct about how much has changed. Three to five years ago, the conversation was largely about pilots and isolated use cases. Today, he says, those experiments have given way to real operational applications, from demand forecasting and inventory optimization to identifying supply chain risks before they materialize. The question for 3PLs is no longer whether AI works. Williams says that has been proven out. The challenge now is scaling it consistently across internal operations in a way that delivers reliable outcomes for manufacturers and, ultimately, for patients.

He also speaks to the guardrails side of that equation, noting that embracing AI responsibly means having the right standards in place, not just deploying the technology for its own sake.

The second half of the conversation shifts to cell and gene therapies, where Williams walks through just how different the logistics model has to be. With traditional small molecule drugs, product is manufactured in batches, held in inventory, and distributed based on forecasting. CGTs don't work that way. Many are built from a patient's own tissue or DNA, making each therapy a one-of-one product that requires highly coordinated, precisely timed movement from manufacturing through to the site of care.

That means stricter temperature controls, tighter chain of custody requirements, narrower windows between when a product is ready and when it needs to be administered, and significantly higher financial stakes across every handoff. Williams says the industry is investing heavily to meet those demands, and that building the right infrastructure and operational precision for CGT support remains an ongoing priority.