Marco Ruggiero, General Manager, Chiesi Mexico • Interview

Chiesi Mexico is working in tandem with the public and private sectors to bring innovative products that can truly change the lives of patients in Mexico.

Mexico is one of the most important countries in Latin America for Chiesi in terms of potential and evolution of the market and environment. We started in Mexico almost seven years ago, and our portfolio in the respiratory line is now complete, including several products mainly for asthma and COPD.

What are the main opportunities in the local health market?

The key opportunity lies in bringing innovative products into the market. We are talking about innovative products that can truly change the lives of patients, including new combinations of existing drugs as new formulations. Chiesi can contribute to improving the Mexican healthcare system by being listed among government institutions, while also working with the private sector to increase coverage. Rare diseases also represent a recent strategy for Chiesi Group. Chiesi made several acquisitions of companies over the last seven years in order to establish this pillar. In Mexico, we need to conclude our regulatory exercises with COFEPRIS in order to bring in rare disease products. Unfortunately, every country has its own regulatory flaws, and the new procedures in Mexico could take months or years to develop.

How is the government’s prioritization of social needs affecting Chiesi in Mexico?

What we can comment on is the way access is generated now, which is expected to be different than in the past, with the deceleration of the universal healthcare system. This is something that still needs to change. The provision of social security to 20 million uninsured Mexicans is not there. There are still processes to go through. It will be a long reform. We have a long way to go still; however, there has been a change in procurement activities and the way the government deals with pharma companies. For example, the new law is centralizing procurement by the government, which means someone else has to take care of distribution. In a large country such as Mexico, special logistics are needed to bring a product from one point to another. This is not easy, and there are specialized distributors with the know-how and logistics instruments to do that. The next logistics flow expected by the new procurement procedures does not include all these unique elements.

Why did Chiesi launch its triple treatment therapy for COPD in Mexico?

of business with government institutions

Started in Mexico years ago