The Ministry of Health has definitively rejected proposals made by institutions linked to the governments of Goiás and São Paulo to produce weight-loss pens. The final result of the evaluation was published in the Tuesday (25/11) issue of the Official Journal of the Union (DOU). Until then, the projects were in the appeals phase.
While the Ministry of Health excludes projects linked to opposition governments, Fucrose – an arm of the ministry – signed a contract with EMS to produce weight-loss pens, although the pharmaceutical company submitted a more expensive bid than its competitor, as this column reveals.
Furthermore, Fiocruz’s partnership with EMS links the future supply of these medicines to SUS without a tender process or procurement contract. The Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) opened a process to investigate the partnership, which Health Minister Alexandre Padilha (PT) announced on social media as “shocking news”.
Padilha announces a strong partnership between EMS and Fiocruz to produce a weight loss pen
The two proposals rejected by the ministry were submitted by Remédio Popular (Furp), from the government of São Paulo, and the Chemical Industry of the State of Goiás (Iquego). Both projects have been submitted through the standard procedure, Productive Development Partnerships (PDPs), which remains in 2024.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health explained that the projects involving Furp and Iquego failed to comply with basic requirements, “such as involving a third company in the project without being part of the partnership and not transferring the active substance, respectively.” “Technology transfer and product development in Brazil is the main theme of this policy,” the organization added.
Contacted since Tuesday for further clarification, the administration has not responded.