BRIC Opportunities 2014

While the tide has been turning for pharma in the BRIC markets, they will continue to be important - but only if the industry has learnt the hard lessons of the last few years.

Speaking to Pharm Exec for the 2014 Industry Outlook, Reenita Das, Partner at Frost & Sullivan, says it’s now more important than ever to work beyond the pill and “more within the fabric of each country.”

From a short-term perspective, there may be wins to be had in Brazil, says Das. But that will come from a “false acceleration” of the economy resulting from the country’s hosting of the 2014 soccer World Cup. “Unless there’s a lot more investment into the private sector, I don’t think we’re going to see the 10–15% growth that the country has been promising,” says Das. But the pressure to keep healthcare costs low is creating a big opportunity for generics and biosimilars, and there’s a growing focus on healthcare IT, as hospital efficiency becomes a top priority.

China is on a race to modernization and still “has potential if you play the game right”, says Das. There’s a lot of investment in building infrastructure such as hospitals, and the in-vitro diagnostics segment is set to grow to $5.7 billion by 2015. But it remains vital to forge alliances with decision makers, to work with the government and, especially, to establish public-private partnerships in China. Multinational companies have seen some success where they have acquired local companies.

In India, transparency, IP and investment control issues are still causing the biggest headaches. On the plus side, Frost & Sullivan estimates that 90% of retail pharma and 80% of the diagnostic services business is still unorganized in the country, leaving a huge opportunity for new players.

Das adds that lessons learned in the BRIC are ones that the industry will need to take forward to the next generation of emerging countries - Mexico, Turkey, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.

For more on BRIC opportunities in 2014 and beyond, check the Pharm Exec 2014 Industry Outlook.