09/24/2024 – 6:30
THE Biommspecialized in the production of biomedicines, like other companies in the health sector, was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but not because of a disruption in the supply chain. The serious global health crisis hit Brazil when a new plant of the company, which received investments of R$800 million, was ready, pending only the operating licenses and authorizations, part of which were issued by Anvisa, which began to have more urgent demands.
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As a result, the plant only began operating at the end of April this year, in the city of Nova Lima, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte (MG). The inauguration of the site was attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, and the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira.
The presences set the tone for the importance of the new unit. The factory became the only manufacturer of insulin glargine in the country, with the capacity to produce 20 million vials of biomedicines and the same amount of cartridges (the “pen” with insulin).
Brazil is experiencing a shortage of insulin, which has led the Brazilian Diabetes Society (SBD) to issue a positioning for the rational use of insulin in hospitals. The country has more than 20 million people with diabetes, according to the SBD, the fifth largest diabetic population in the world.
“We have a very large capacity. The unit will be very important for Brazilians, as it represents insulin independence for the country,” says Renato Arroyo, CFO and Director of Institutional Relations at Biomm.
Arroyo emphasizes that, in addition to the independence in the production of the medicine, national production not only provides security of supply, but can also reduce costs, allowing more people to have access to treatment for the disease. According to the CFO, each percentage drop in price can increase access to the product by up to three times.
Insulin glargine itself would be an example, says Arroyo. It used to be five to six times more expensive than human insulin, and today they are closer in price.
“We have a growing demand for insulin in the world and in Brazil, driven mainly by the increase in the population’s life expectancy, but we also have a restriction on inputs as a whole. Therefore, it is important to have this product being made here, which can represent a better quality of life, with a speed of supply and commercialization that we do not have today. We are putting together a large portfolio with a strong focus on diabetes.”
The factory is also able to produce other classes of medication, in addition to glargine and human insulin, such as oncological and antithrombotic drugs. “All of this shows that we have penetration in different markets.” Biomm has 16 global partnerships in biomedicines, some in the licensing and approval process. And another four are being commercialized.
One of Biomm’s partnerships is with the Ezequiel Dias Foundation (Funed) and Wockhardt for a program called PDP (Partnership for Productive Development) for insulin in Brazil to be supplied to the Unified Health System (SUS). “This is an important milestone. It is an important migration to insulin glargine, which is more noble than human insulin and prevents spikes in blood glucose levels. It is the most widely used insulin in more developed countries.”
‘Brazilian Ozempic’
Among Biomm’s global partners is the Indian company Biocon for the production of semaglutide, a compound in Ozempic, the drug created to treat diabetes, but which has become popular as a powerful aid in weight loss – and consequently the incidence of the disease.
The original product is from the Danish company Novo Nordisk and was so successful worldwide that it even impacted the Danish economy. The patent will expire in 2025. With this, Biomm is preparing to begin production of the component from 2026.
Another Biomm partnership is with Chinese biopharmaceutical company Kexing to market liraglutide, a synthetic injectable drug similar to Saxenda. This weight loss aid will also be marketed in Brazil after the patent expires, subsequent regulatory approval by Anvisa and publication of the price by the Chamber of Regulation of the Medication Market (CMED).
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