Chile’s health minister intends to submit a plan for a national medicines agency, the Agencia Nacional de Medicamentos (Anamed), to the country’s parliament. Anamed would preside over drug regulations, a task that currently belongs to the National Institute of Public Health, and would create and enforce bioequivalence requirements. Currently, local drugmakers can manufacture and market “me-too” drugs without such requirements. Another priority of Anamed would be supervising GMP regulations and accrediting 50% of domestic manufacturers. Other aims include designing human drug trials, increasing pharmacovigilance, fostering ties with other Latin American drug regulators, and cultivating international partnerships. According to Business Monitor International, the pharmaceutical market in Chile will grow 7% in local currency, or 19.4% in US dollars, to $3.41 billion in 2011.

Source: PharmaTimes