Argentina has around 65 biotech companies working on human health, showing strengths in the development of generics and biosimilars. Over a dozen of these companies are exporting biosimilars, primarily to other countries in the region and to Asia. Sales to China, India and Vietnam increased by 179 per cent between 2003 and 2017. Some of these companies also manufacture their products in Asia. For example, Bagó, through a joint venture, produces biosimilars in Pakistan. Others such as BioNovis SA fill and finish local products that were developed abroad. The Insud group for instance, entered an agreement with AstraZeneca and Liomont of Mexico to produce a COVID-19 vaccines [1].

In Argentina, local firms play a leading role in manufacturing pharmaceuticals. Measured by their share of market sales, only two out of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies operating in Argentina (Sanofi and Bayer) are foreign multinationals [2]. This market is characterized by a high degree of concentration, around 20 laboratories account for 70% of the market.

Some of the most important domestic pharmaceutical companies in Argentina are shown in Table 1.

From the pharmaceutical companies described in Table 1, only Elea Phoenix and mAbxience produce biosimilars (two monoclonal antibodies). Some of them only produce off-patent biologicals approved prior to the ANMAT provisions regulating biosimilars in 2011, so they are not biosimilars because they have not undergone the necessary studies to achieve this qualification.

This article belongs to the series of articles which discuss the study results of pharmaceuticals development in other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean like Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba.

Related articles
Nomenclature of biologicals and biosimilars in Argentina 

Argentinian gastroenterologist groups issued position statement on biosimilar use 

Regulatory landscape for similar biotherapeutic products in Latin America

References
1. Vargas V, Rama M, Singh R. Pharmaceuticals in Latin America and the Caribbean: players, access, and innovation across diverse models. 3 January 2022. World Bank. Available from: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/36871 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Pharmaceutical companies in Latin America and the Caribbean[www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2022 Jul 8]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/generics/general/pharmaceutical-companies-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean

Permission granted to reproduce for personal and non-commercial use only. All other reproduction, copy or reprinting of all or part of any ‘Content’ found on this website is strictly prohibited without the prior consent of the publisher. Contact the publisher to obtain permission before redistributing.

Copyright – Unless otherwise stated all contents of this website are © 2022 Pro Pharma Communications International. All Rights Reserved.