Western pharmaceutical companies are relying on different tactics to expand in the second-largest emerging market for drugs. For AstraZeneca, Brazil is one of the first locations for its plan to offer off-patent drugs. GlaxoSmithKline is catering to a variety of customers with discounts for off-patent branded generics, over-the-counter dermatological products and placing sales representatives in pharmacies. Novo Nordisk is concentrating on prescription products and previous-generation insulins, which the government covers. Sanofi-Aventis is diversifying products and increased its over-the-counter and branded generics in 2009 with the purchase of Brazilian company Medley. With its purchase of 40% of Brazilian company Teuto in October, Pfizer expanded its range of lower-cost generics and similares. By 2013, similares will not exist due to new laws that mandate generic products’ ingredients be exactly the same as those of the original drugs. According to IMS Health, Sanofi-Aventis has the fourth-largest market share in the country behind domestic producers EMS Pharma, Medley and Aché. Pfizer is ranked 8th and AstraZeneca Brazil is ranked 9th.

Source: Financial Times