Industry Developments

With new government data indicating total drug sales of BRL1.7bn (US$800mn) in February 2006, Brazil's pharmaceutical producers expect growth of 30% this year. The country's second-largest... 2006-04-05

Argentina's health minister, Gines Gonzalez Garcia, has claimed that 'the majority' of medicine prices in the country are 'stable'. The official insisted that prices are not breaking... 2006-04-05

Paraguayan pharmaceutical manufacturers' association Cifarma has welcomed a decision by the government to revoke allegedly 'abusive' patents. The government is currently revising... 2006-04-05

Meanwhile, data indicates that Viagra is losing its dominance of Brazil's ED market. In 2005, sales of Cialis totalled BRL145.9mn, a 29.3% year-on-year rise, while Viagra's sales... 2006-04-05

The Canadian regulatory authority - Health Canada - is investigating Janssen-Ortho's Evra (ethinylestradiol + norelgestromin) contraceptive patch after two studies showed use of the... 2006-04-04

Local press reports claim that Swiss drugmaker Roche is to concede voluntary licences for its supposed avian flu treatment Tamiflu (oseltamivir) in Argentina. According to a company... 2006-04-04

US giant Pfizer is considering options for its prestigious over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare unit, including a US$14bn sale, spinning off the division to shareholders, or retaining... 2006-04-04

French drug major Sanofi-Aventis has regained its leading sales position on Brazil's pharmaceutical market, according to IMS Health. In the first quarter of 2006, the company has... 2006-04-03

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has started a 2-month investigation into the competitive effects of authorised generics in the prescription drug market. At total of 190 companies... 2006-04-03

Local observers, including multinationals Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim, have warned that a strike by workers at Brazilian drug regulator Anvisa could impact government plans... 2006-04-03