The Health Secretary seeks to revive Biological Laboratories and Reagents from Mexico (Birmex) in its sector program, since in addition to being in charge of the distribution of drugs and supplies, will now handle the investigation and drug production and others treatments how immunotherapy.
At Sector Program of Health derived from National Development Plan 2020-2024 It was indicated that one of the priorities for this government is the strengthening and improvement of production, purchase and supply of medicines.
With this objective, the Health Secretary seeks to strengthen Birmex, that is of public-private property, but the majority partner is the government. He recalled that “this company has the functions of producer and distributor of pharmaceutical products. During past administrations, this company has been reduced to its minimum size and has carried out transactions not very transparent, but can play an important role as a producer of medicines and vaccines, an importer of pharmaceutical products and national distributor of these products ”.
In the program, which was published in the Official Journal of the Federation, it was indicated that within the drug production the Health Secretary must implement a research and production project of substances of immunotherapy and that it should establish close collaboration with private national producers.
You will also need to do an analysis of the new drugs regarding their possible benefit over those already existing in the market and subject them to security tests, efficiency and cost-benefit to determine if they are included in the institutional tables.
He President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced last Thursday that Birmex will become the distribution company of government drugs. The shopping consolidated for 2021 and subsequent years will be done abroad through UNOPS, a fact that has caused controversy among national pharmaceutical companies who have requested an even floor.
However, the government has indicated that this decision was made because corruption in these acquisitions. At sector program it was mentioned that “the drug production and vaccines, as well as medical equipment, is today one of the areas where commercial interests have a very important influence. This tends to make the pharmaceutical products and promote its harmful use, so this field should be developed together with the Ministry of Economy for the weight it has like Comercial activity and productive ”.
(MJP)
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