ARGENTINA SUPPORTS LOCAL DRUG MANUFACTURING

Government officials in Argentina are reportedly considering implementing a "minimum local manufacturing requirement" on pharmaceutical products in order to encourage companies without local production facilities -- including many foreign drugmakers -- to license drug manufacturing to local companies.

The move comes amidst the Argentine government's commitment to protect its local drug manufacturing industry and develop it as an alternative to importing expensive foreign drugs. Since the 2002 economic crisis, there has been a pressing need to provide low-cost medicines to an increasingly impoverished society. Legislation has been introduced encouraging the use of generics or "similar" products. Also, there is the Remediar programme, which provides over 2mn Argentineans from low-income groups with free medicines at over 5,000 health centres across the country.

Foreign drugmakers in Argentina have repeatedly complained about excessive tariffs and bureaucracy concerning imported drugs. Also, pricing restrictions in the country allegedly discriminate against imported medicines. However, with large sections of the population reliant on a constant flow of cheap drugs, it is unlikely that the government will take any action in the near future to redress these issues.