A roundup of some of the biggest stories coming out of Latin American pharma and healthcare, including Mexico’s move to speed up the drug review process; Sanfer’s acquisition of Columbia’s Laboratorio Vitalis; Pfizer’s joint vaccine effort with PAHO and Argentinian drugmaker Sinergium Biotech, and the epilspsy joint venture between SK Biopharmaceuticals and Brazil’s Eurofarma Laboratórios.

 

Mexico’s patent office, COFEPRIS sign agreement on drug patents (Regulatory Focus) 

Officials with Mexico’s patent office and its pharmaceutical regulator have signed a new agreement aimed at preemptively clarifying patent protections for drugs in hopes of speeding the review process.

The Federal Commission for Protection Against Health Risks (COFEPRIS) announced the agreement on 19 February, calling it a key step in improving transparency and coordination between the institutions and a move that would help drug and device makers as well as assure steadier supplies of generics in local markets.

 

VaxThera: agreement with Ministry of Health, Colombia (Pharmabiz, in Spanish)

Colombia wants to regain its health sovereignty after 20 years of having a vaccine production plant. This is the site inaugurated last year by the local biotech company VaxThera.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the National Institute of Health and the laboratory with Jorge Emilio Osorio as CEO signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen research, development and production of biologics and other health technologies.

Mexico’s Sanfer acquires Vitalis to expand its pharmaceutical portfolio in Colombia (La Republica, in Spanish)

Mexican drugmaker Sanfer announced the acquisition of Laboratorio Vitalis, a Colombian company with more than 45 years of experience in the manufacture of generic drugs.

As part of Sanfer, Vitalis, which manufactures and markets more than 200 million units of injectable medicines from 12 therapeutic lines per year, and has plants in Colombia, Mexico and Chile, will be able to increase its production and export capacity, expanding its global presence in 20 countries.

 

Health ministry confirms more than 100 cases and death of a baby from whooping cough in Mexico (El Pais, in Spanish)

The Ministry of Health has issued an epidemiological alert after recording 133 confirmed cases of pertussis in the country’s 21 states during 2025. Nuevo León (35), Mexico City (13), Aguascalientes (11) and Oaxaca (10) are the states with the highest number of cases. Likewise, the head of this governmental agency in the northern state has confirmed the death of a one-and-a-half-month-old baby from the disease, which is mainly affecting newborns.

According to the same document, there are 460 probable cases in the country, with the capital (73), Nuevo León (56) and Baja California (44) being the states with the highest incidence.

 

In PAHO-backed access initiative, Argentina’s Sinergium Biotech to locally produce Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 (Fierce Pharma)

Pfizer’s latest-generation pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is in line to reach more people in Latin America and the Caribbean through a joint effort with Argentina’s government, The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Argentinian drugmaker Sinergium Biotech.

Under the initiative, Buenos Aires-based Sinergium will produce Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 in Argentina, with doses expected to be ready to roll out by 2026. In the meantime, countries across the Americas region will be able to access the vaccine at “competitive prices” through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds for Access to Vaccines, a program that allows countries to make joint vaccine purchases, PAHO explained in a release.

 

SK Biopharmaceuticals, Eurofarma to set up AI epilepsy platform JV in US (KED Global)

South Korea’s SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. has signed a deal with Brazil’s Eurofarma Laboratórios S.A. to establish a joint venture in the US to develop an AI-based epilepsy treatment platform.

The drug-developing subsidiary of Korea’s No. 2 conglomerate SK Group said it plans to hire local executives, implement localization strategies and leverage its existing US network built through direct sales of SK Biopharma’s flagship antiepileptic drug Cenobamate.

 

Doctors resign from Health Ministry scheme over ‘dismantling’ of programmes (Buenos Aires Times)

Doctors working on programmes corresponding to the Argentinian National Health Ministry have resigned their posts en masse, denouncing the “dismantling” of key initiatives and warning of “grave, imminent risks” to public health. Healthcare professionals forming part of the Ministry’s Dirección de Control de Enfermedades Inmunoprevenibles (“Directorate for the Control of Immuno-preventable Diseases,” DiCEI) announced their decision in a statement criticising President Javier Milei’s government and accusing it of failing to meet “basic legal obligations.”

The DiCEI directorate is responsible for ensuring vaccine safety and quality, coordinating outbreak responses, and guaranteeing nationwide accessibility.

 

Daewoong Pharmaceutical Launches Nabota in Ecuador, Completing Launch in 13 Countries in Latin America (Korea Times)

Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on March 7 that it has officially launched its botulinum toxin brand, Nabota, in Ecuador, intensifying its efforts in the Latin American market.

The company held launch symposiums on March 27 and 28 in Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador, respectively, to introduce Nabota locally. With this launch, Nabota has now entered 13 out of the 20 countries in Latin America.