Germany’s pharmaceutical industry on Thursday warned of growing risks of drug shortages if the war in Iran continues.
“The war in Iran is also affecting the pharmaceutical industry in Germany: Many medications and packaging rely on raw materials from the region, a helium shortage could delay production, and rising transportation and material costs are straining the supply chain,” the daily BILD newspaper cited Dorothee Brakmann, CEO of Pharma Deutschland, as saying.
According to BILD, current supply shortages primarily affect essential raw materials that are indispensable for producing most medications. Without these materials, production cannot take place at all or can only proceed on a limited basis.
Meanwhile, health economist Prof. David Matusiewicz also warned of a potential drug supply shortage as a result of the war in Iran.
“The ongoing conflict surrounding Iran is having a noticeable impact on global pharmaceutical supply chains—and thus also on the supply situation in Germany,” he said.
“At the moment, there is no immediate risk of widespread shortages, but the risks are growing. The longer the conflict drags on, the more likely it is that there will be delivery delays, price increases, or temporary shortages of certain medications,” Matusiewicz added.
According to the BILD report, medications requiring reliable cold chains are particularly affected, including cancer drugs, modern biologics for autoimmune diseases, and other temperature-sensitive treatments. Emergency medications such as insulin could also become harder to obtain.
German Health Minister Nina Warken had earlier pointed to potential consequences for medicine supplies shortly after the outbreak of the war.
While Warken said there is currently no immediate danger, she emphasized that many key medicine shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz.