Moving forward towards the first quarter of 2026, the import prices of Amphotericin B in the US were on an increasing trend in the entire period from December 2025. Rise in the prices were mainly affected by logistical issues, which increased freight costs, prolonged transit times, and enhanced handling and storage costs, hence affecting import prices. The lack of flexibility in production across the world also affected the supply of the drug. The manufacturing of Amphotericin B continues to remain on the upper side as traders remained focused on selling their goods at a higher price. Moreover, on the other side, the purchasing sentiments for the drug from healthcare providers in the US remained strong, owing to its vital role in treating life-threatening fungal infections. This led distributors to prioritize balancing sufficient level of inventory at their warehouses, thereby increasing forward purchasing and reducing spot availability. The demand also increased due to other macroeconomic factors, including increased costs associated with pharmaceutical imports, currency fluctuations and freight cost variations. Moving forward, it appears that import prices for Amphotericin B are likely to remain firm, with an upward bias in the coming months.
Import prices of Amphotericin B have shown a rising trend in the United States market in the period of December 2025 and January 2026. This is a result of the increasing cost pressures in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Import prices of Amphotericin B rose once again by 0.46% in the month of January 2026. The participants have noted that the prices have been rising steadily in the US market in the period of December 2025 and January 2026, without any correction, indicating a structurally tight import market. Amphotericin B is an essential drug, and it is used in the treatment of fungal infections. It is used in hospitals and critical care facilities. The drug is extremely sensitive to supply chain pressures and international trade, making the import prices of Amphotericin B extremely susceptible.
One of the key factors driving the Amphotericin B cost increase has been the ongoing pressure on the world’s logistics and transportation networks. In the final quarter of 2025, as well as the early months of 2026, higher ocean freight rates, scarcity, and longer transit times combined to drive the overall cost of pharmaceutical cargo imports into the US The aforementioned factors were further compounded by increasing insurance, storage, and handling costs, which were in turn passed on to the supply chain. This meant that distributors and procurement agencies faced higher Amphotericin B acquisition costs in both December and January.
In addition to the aforementioned logistical challenges, the supply tightness of the manufacturing level has also been instrumental in the upward movement of prices. The production of Amphotericin B is specialized and concentrated among a few global producers, many of whom are required to maintain strict regulatory and compliance regimes. The capacity constraint, along with the production time and output planning, has restricted the flexibility of Amphotericin B suppliers to respond to increases in demand. This has resulted in the upward movement of import prices in the US.
In addition, the demand-side factors strengthened the upward trend. The demand for Amphotericin B in the US healthcare facilities continued to be consistent, considering the importance of the drug in the treatment of severe infections caused by fungi, particularly in immunocompromised patients as well as those in hospitals. The purchasing activity was strong, particularly because of the need for the hospitals and distributors to procure the drug in order to build stocks of Amphotericin B, thus reducing the available spot supplies.
In addition, macroeconomic conditions and other trade-related costs played a role in the pricing dynamics of Amphotericin B. Volatility in currency, increases in energy costs, and higher compliance costs in importing pharmaceuticals led to an increase in overall procurement costs. Importers were exposed to greater risk in procuring active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations, hence leading to changes in the pricing of Amphotericin B. These pressures, which accumulated over time, were reflected in the pricing trends observed during the latter part of 2025, which carried over into January 2026.
In terms of future market outlook, it is anticipated that prices for the import of Amphotericin B will likely remain high in the short term, with scope for further increases. Unless there is an improvement in the efficiency of logistics or an increase in the global supply capacity, it is anticipated that the current supply-demand balance in the market for Amphotericin B will persist.
