São Paulo – Brazil should produce insulin crystals, the main raw material for production of diabetes medication. The announcement was made last week by representatives of pharmaceutical companies União Química and Biomm in a meeting with president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the minister of Health, José Gomes Temporão, and the governor of the Federal District, José Roberto Arruda. According to information disclosed by Agência Saúde, under the ministry, the factory should be set up in the JK Industrial District, in Brasília. Estimated investment is between 150 million and 200 million Brazilian reals (US$ 63 million and US$ 85 million).
According to Temporão, national production of medication means greater Brazilian capacity in the fields of science, technology and innovation in the health sector. "With national production, Brazil enters a very restricted group of countries that have this technology. The measure should reduce the Brazilian dependence on technology," said Temporão.
In two years, according to expectations by businessmen, the country should produce 800 kilograms of the medication, enough to supply the entire national demand, as well as allowing for export to other countries. Brazil should be the first country in South America to produce insulin crystals.
In 2009, the Ministry of Health imported 12.6 million units of insulin, for 69 million Brazilian reals (US$ 29 million). To Temporão, with the improvement of public service to diabetics, the earlier diagnosis and treatment, the tendency is for a greater number of new patients to be treated through the Unified Healthcare System (SUS).
"Diabetes is a growing health problem in the world and in Brazil. The national production of this input should reduce the trade deficit with the import of the product," he said. In 2008, the health sector trade balance ended the year with a deficit of US$ 6 billion.
Incentives
In February 2007, president Lula launched an action to provide incentives in biotechnology. The National Development Policy for Biotechnology aims to generate scientific studies and competitiveness in Brazilian industry.
The factory should generate 1,100 jobs in April this year. With the inauguration of a new Biomm technological plant, to be built beside the laboratory of the Chemical Union, the number of direct jobs should be expanded by another 500.
*Translated by Mark Ament
