Brazil announced a new initiative to boost domestic production of common medicines and equipments.
![Brazil Initiates to Improve Production of Key Medications Brazil Initiates to Improve Production of Key Medications](https://www.medindia.net/afp/images/Health-US-politics-Congress-131687.jpg)
He estimated that the measures would lead to savings of 354 million reais ($179 million) over five years, because the government currently imports most of the medicines involved and makes them available to the national health system.
"To produce here in Brazil means a saving for the government and the consumer," the Padilha said. "These products can lead to price reductions for the consumer."
He made the announcement at a meeting hosted by the Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paolo.
He said the government would extend seven billion reais ($3.5 billion) in credits to Brazilian firms involved in innovative health projects and pump another 1.3 billion reais ($651 million) into the infrastructure of public laboratories.
He said key regulatory bodies -- the National Health Surveillance Agency ANVISA, the National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI) and the Brazilian Association of Technical Norms (ABNT) -- would sign agreements aimed at speeding up the process for obtaining patents and registering products.
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