Pharma market value in Latin America 2021, by country
In 2021, Brazil was by far the Latin American country with the highest pharmaceutical market value, amounting to around 22.81 billion U.S. dollars. Mexico ranked second, with a pharma market value of approximately 8.51 billion U.S. dollars. As a whole, Latin America accounted for about 3.7 percent of the global 2021 pharmaceutical market revenue.
An industry driven by imports
Brazil produced more than 52 billion Brazilian reals worth of pharmaceutical products in 2020. Despite its significant role in the national economy, the pharmaceutical industry in this South American country relies mostly on imports. With a value of about 11 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, Brazil was also the Latin American country with the highest value of pharmaceutical imports. Meanwhile, Brazil’s pharma exports have declined from 1.57 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 to 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2021.
ACHE Laboratorios – a national market leader
Despite U.S companies such as Pfizer leading the global pharmaceutical industry, in Brazil Aché Laboratorios Farmacéuticos S.A. - a prominent 100-percent Brazilian pharmaceutical corporation – ranks first in the segment, with a revenue of over 3.4 billion Brazilian reals in 2020. Focusing mostly on the production and sales of prescription drugs, the company invested more than 81.5 billion reals in research, development, and innovation in 2018.
An industry driven by imports
Brazil produced more than 52 billion Brazilian reals worth of pharmaceutical products in 2020. Despite its significant role in the national economy, the pharmaceutical industry in this South American country relies mostly on imports. With a value of about 11 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, Brazil was also the Latin American country with the highest value of pharmaceutical imports. Meanwhile, Brazil’s pharma exports have declined from 1.57 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 to 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2021.
ACHE Laboratorios – a national market leader
Despite U.S companies such as Pfizer leading the global pharmaceutical industry, in Brazil Aché Laboratorios Farmacéuticos S.A. - a prominent 100-percent Brazilian pharmaceutical corporation – ranks first in the segment, with a revenue of over 3.4 billion Brazilian reals in 2020. Focusing mostly on the production and sales of prescription drugs, the company invested more than 81.5 billion reals in research, development, and innovation in 2018.
