• Patients in Latin America wait an average of 5.7 years to access innovative treatments after global approval.
• Although 9 out of 10 regulatory agencies in the region already use mechanisms such as Reliance, only one measures their real impact on reducing access times.
• The region reaches only 59% in biopharmaceutical competitiveness, compared to over 75% in leading economies, limiting investment, clinical research, and timely access to innovation.

BRASILIA, Brazil, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The FIFARMA Annual Summit 2026 delivered a clear conclusion for Latin America: accelerating access to health innovation is no longer just a health goal, but a strategic decision for the region’s economic and social development.

During the meeting, which brought together leaders from the public and private sectors, multilateral organizations, academia, and civil society across Latin America, it became evident that the region has scientific talent, technical capacity, and concrete tools to move forward, but still faces barriers that delay access to treatments, limit investment, and reduce the impact of innovation on people’s lives.

One of the main conclusions was the need to strengthen health financing as a driver of development. According to a Duke University study on health budget practices, Latin America allocates an average of 4% of GDP to health, below international recommendations. This confirms that progress depends not only on more resources, but on better decisions regarding how funds are invested, prioritized, and translated into real access and sustainable outcomes.

This gap is directly reflected in access to innovative treatments. According to FIFARMA’s WAIT Indicator 2026, patients in the region gain access to these therapies an average of 5.7 years after global approval. Reducing this time represents one of the greatest opportunities to improve health outcomes, avoid social costs, and strengthen regional productivity.

Regulation was also identified as a key lever to accelerate change. Mechanisms such as Reliance allow countries to leverage evaluations already conducted by trusted international agencies, avoiding duplication and reducing timelines. Today, 9 out of 10 agencies in the region use these mechanisms, but only one measures their impact, showing that the challenge is no longer adoption, but ensuring results.

Strengthening regional competitiveness is also essential to attract investment, boost clinical research, and build sustainable innovation ecosystems. Currently, Latin America reaches 59% in biopharmaceutical competitiveness, compared to over 75% in leading economies, according to FIFARMA’s Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness Index (BCI).

“Latin America does not need to wait any longer for innovation to reach patients. When we align investment, regulation, and access, we not only strengthen health systems, but also protect competitiveness, development, and the region’s capacity to respond to its own challenges. Health innovation only fulfills its purpose when it arrives on time,” said Yaneth Giha, Executive Director of FIFARMA.

Silvana Lay, Director of Access and Public Affairs at FIFARMA, added: “The challenge is not only to develop new solutions, but to create the conditions for those solutions to reach patients in a timely, equitable, and sustainable way. This requires faster decisions, stronger institutional coordination, and a long-term vision of health as a driver of development.”

The FIFARMA Annual Summit 2026 set out a clear roadmap: invest better, regulate more efficiently, and strengthen institutional trust so that innovation translates into real well-being for people.

When innovation arrives on time, it not only improves patient health, but also strengthens productivity, drives development, and builds more sustainable health systems across the region. This is both the main challenge and the greatest opportunity for Latin America.

About FIFARMA

FIFARMA is the Latin American Federation of the Pharmaceutical Industry. It brings together local associations and research-based pharmaceutical companies across Latin America and the Caribbean, working to promote scientific research, patient well-being, and more sustainable health systems. FIFARMA advances access to innovation, recognition of intellectual property value, and solutions that contribute to stronger health systems.

More information: https://fifarma.org/publicaciones/

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SOURCE FIFARMA