A logistics battle involving a matter of life and death! Middle East conflict affects global drug transport, cancer life-saving drugs face supply crisis.

Industry executives have stated that the conflicts in the Middle East are disrupting the flow of crucial medicines to the Gulf region, endangering supply routes for cancer medications and other medications that require refrigeration, forcing companies to change flight routes and seek land routes into the region. The conflict sparked by the attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iran two weeks ago, as well as the retaliatory strikes by Iran in the region, have caused major air transit hubs to be paralyzed, shipping routes to be closed, and the transportation of a variety of goods from medicines to food and oil to become chaotic. Some executives have stated that while there are currently no major signs of shortages, if the conflict continues, the situation could change. The Gulf region heavily relies on imports, with some medicines having short shelf lives and requiring strict cold chain storage, making long land transportation routes less feasible. Executives from Western pharmaceutical companies have stated that they are looking for alternative routes into the Gulf region, utilizing land routes to transport some medicines from airports in Saudi Arabia such as Jeddah and Riyadh. Other alternative routes include Istanbul and Oman. Due to Iran's strikes in retaliation for the attacks by the United States and Israel, major airports in the region such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha have been closed. Dubai and Doha serve as major freight hubs connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa, with airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, and logistics companies like DHL handling temperature-sensitive medicines that must be kept within narrow ranges to remain safe and effective. Wouter Dewulf, a professor at Antwerp Management School, cited industry data indicating that over one-fifth of global air freight faces risks due to the Middle East conflict, with air freight being a primary means of transporting crucial or life-saving medicines and vaccines. One executive cautioned that alternative "cold chain corridors," temperature-controlled routes for transporting sensitive medicines, cannot be set up overnight and are not always available. Another executive from a pharmaceutical company stated that the company has set up internal teams to prioritize handling urgently needed goods for patients, including cancer treatment medications, and warned that without proper storage and handling, some temperature-sensitive goods may miss connections. An executive from a medical device company stated that the first step is to map out the goods that are currently in transit or ready for shipment, then decide which pallets need to change routes and whether new arrangements for transporting goods are required. The executive, who requested anonymity, stated that some Eurasian freight routes usually transiting through Dubai or Doha are being rerouted to China or Singapore. Due to longer travel times and the closure of crucial passages by Iran, sea routes are not feasible. "If there is an emergency surgery, and a patient is waiting for treatment, you must choose a faster means of transportation." Hospitals may face shortages within weeks Prashant Yadav, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations, stated that inventories of short shelf life, temperature-sensitive, and high-value medicines typically amount to about three months, with the highest risk being for cancer drugs, especially monoclonal antibodies. Delays in the delivery of cancer drugs could have serious consequences for patients, who may be forced to restart a course of treatment or face a worsening condition. Yadav stated that supply disruptions have become a challenge for some companies, with some clients warning that if the situation does not improve, their inventories may run out within four to six weeks. Last week, over 100 professionals from the pharmaceutical and logistics industries participated in a webinar organized by Pharma.Aero, a life sciences logistics organization, to discuss the Gulf crisis and its impact on supply chains and transportation. Industry currently able to cope Some logistics providers have stated that the industry is currently able to cope. Dorothee Becher, Healthcare Air Logistics Lead at freight company Kuehne+Nagel, stated the company is flying to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Oman, using land routes to reach final markets. "I don't see a risk of major inventory depletion at the moment," she added, stating that healthcare goods are prioritized. However, keeping goods moving is a long-term challenge. Doaa Fathallah, Chief Operating Officer at biopharmaceutical logistics company Marken, stated that temperature-sensitive goods are being transported, but routes can change throughout the day with rapid changes in airspace restrictions. She stated that rerouting means longer transit times, increased fuel costs, pushing up transportation fees, in addition to the need for dry ice to keep medicines refrigerated. Executives have stated that if supply disruptions continue, the risks faced by the industry will increase as supplies diminish in the Gulf region and Asia. Transport bottlenecks could also affect indirectly risky products for medicine supply, including shortages of vial caps for antibiotics, plastic bags for intravenous injections, and packaging materials. "It's not always the actual medicine that's in short supply," said David Weeks, a ratings agency at Moody's focusing on the supply chain industry. "In some cases, it's the shortage of small caps on vials for extracting doses."