Entry prices for new medicines in Brazil fall 35%

Economic regulation has allowed medications to arrive in the hands of Brazilians at prices 35% lower, on average, than those requested by the pharmaceutical industry. A study released by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) analyzed the maximum prices established by the Chamber for the Regulation of the Pharmaceutical Market (CMED). 1,115 presentations (pharmaceutical forms such as ointment, syrup, tablet, etc) for 433 medications were approved between March 2004 and December 2011.

According to ANVISA manager of economic evaluation of new technologies, Gabrielle Troncoso, in most cases the companies request pricing at higher levels than those that end up being authorized by the government. "The study indicated that economic regulation has been effective in reducing the entry prices of medications in our country," she said.

Medications (category I) with innovative chemical formulas that are patented in Brazil and have proven therapeutic gain compared to drugs already used for the same indication represented a minority (3.24%) of the products launched by the pharmaceutical industry in Brazil during the period. The majority (45.03%) of products have no patent or proof of therapeutic gain (category II). New combinations of active ingredients already in the country and medications in new pharmaceutical forms amounted to 36.72% of the products analyzed.