Pandemic may encourage pharma policy rethink in Brazil

Significance

Brazil, one of the hardest-hit countries, has a long history of policy and practice aimed at matching universal healthcare with sustainable local supply. Successful technological gains around COVID-19 vaccines and legislative innovations may lead Brazil to regain some of the ground lost when previous industrial policies were discontinued.

Impacts

• Brazil will rely heavily on imports of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), as it produces only 5% of domestic requirements.
• Previously accumulated knowledge in public laboratories has been key to major technological acquisitions related to COVID-19 vaccines.
• Pandemic preparedness will drive the focus on greater autonomy in supply of pharmaceutical products more widely.