Análise da dinâmica concorrencial na indústria farmacêutica: um estudo exploratório do segmento de produtos genéricos

Abstract

Abstract: The Brazilian pharmaceutical industry has undergone an important competitive transformation since the enactment of the Patent Law and, later, of Law nº 9.787/99, Law of Generics, from which (including subsequent legislation and complementary resolutions) defined conditions for the launch of generic drugs in the country. The launch of these drugs in our market, like what happened in several markets around the world, has been significantly changing the competitive conditions of the pharmaceutical industry in several aspects. In the Brazilian market, which has specific competitive characteristics, this work focuses on some structural factors in its dynamics: health legislation, prices practiced at the level of discounts, marketing and distribution practices, and advertising, among others. This research aimed to analyze the performance of generic drug manufacturers between the years 1999 to 2003, in spite of the lack of maturity of this competition, due to the mentioned cycle. The study made it possible to identify the critical points in the insertion and expansion strategy in this segment, as well as its interrelationship and dependence on the structure of different agents that make up the drug distribution network.