Brazil’s Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, has signed an agreement with a Chinese pharmaceutical company to jointly produce medicines for cancer, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune diseases, according to the ministry’s official website.

“We are confident that our cooperation will become a successful example for other companies. It will not only strengthen the partnership between Brazil and China but, most importantly, allow more patients to access modern and safe medicines,” said Wei Chen, a representative of the Chinese pharmaceutical company.

Through this international partnership, Brazil will also begin domestic production of long-acting insulin (glargine), essential for diabetes treatment.

The agreement forms part of the government’s programme to strengthen Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) and includes the transfer of scientific developments from the Chinese side.

According to a report by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, cited by Xinhua, a TV BRICS partner, China’s biomedicine and biopharmaceutical industries grew at an accelerated pace in 2024. The state supported every stage – from research and development to market distribution – placing the country second globally in the number of new drugs both launched and under development.

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