A Dependência Tecnológica do Brasil na Indústria Farmacêutica

Abstract

This study aims to analyze Brazil's technological dependence in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on the import of inputs for the production of medicines and vaccines, identifying the challenges that limit national productive competitiveness. The research adopts a qualitative and exploratory approach, and is based on secondary data obtained through bibliographic review, academic works and articles, found on platforms such as Google Scholar, Scielo, Fiocruz and the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). The analysis shows that the productive organization of the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector is characterized by a high concentration of international companies, weak innovation capacity and a great dependence on the import of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which exceed 90% of national demand. This vulnerability was intensified by the economic opening of the 1990s, by the reduced number of public policies aimed at protecting the domestic market, by the financialization of the industry and by the barriers imposed by the international patent system. It is observed that, although the Health Economic-Industrial Complex (HEIC) and the pharmaceutical industry are growing, the country still faces structural and institutional problems that compromise its technological autonomy. It is concluded that Brazil's external dependence in pharmaceutical production reflects a limited pattern of industrial development and that overcoming this scenario requires long-term public policies focused on innovation and reducing national productive vulnerability.