Argentina's pharmaceuticals sector continues on PhRMA Priority Watch List

In Business Monitor International's new Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Business Environment Ratings (BER) for the third quarter of 2010, Argentina is ranked seventh in the America's region, which has been expanded with the addition of countries such as Nicaragua and Honduras to cover 17 markets.

Argentina's scores on the limits side is considerably stronger than those on the risks side, which are hampered by its challenging intellectual property (IP) and pharmaceutical pricing and procurement environments. Indeed, on the US trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Special 301 Submission for 2010, Argentina remains on the Priority Watch List. In addition to existing concerns over the lack of protection of undisclosed test data, patent backlog and the absence of a patent linkage system, the association has also raised questions over the exclusion of patent rights from the amended version of the customs code regulating border measures for trademark and copyright enforcement.

Drug mafia saga continues