Iran War Puts Up to 20% of Global Pharma Trade at Risk

Peace deals don’t fix supply chains already under stress. Around 10–20% of global pharma trade runs through the Middle East, and the Iran war has turned that route into a logistical mess. Temperature-sensitive generics from India are now scrambling for alternate paths and competing for limited cargo space. With air freight disrupted and Hormuz tightening, the strain keeps building.

• Phesi data shows ~6.7% of global trials have been disrupted, especially in major treatments like cancer and heart disease.
• Simultaneously, rising transport costs are hitting generic drug makers harder, as even small increases weigh more on low-cost medicines than premium therapies.

Dose of disruption: Distributors may start stockpiling to rebuild buffers after the ceasefire, a move that could squeeze developing nations already struggling to access generics. The pressure doesn’t stop there, as MRI machines face risks from helium supply disruptions since the gas is essential for cooling their magnets. As Tive’s Alex Guillen puts it, the industry is “almost living in a survival mode,” and a short ceasefire does little to change that.