The Mexican Government is shoring up its public healthcare service, as part of a near decade-long effort to get operations and costs to sustainable levels as supported by public and social security funding. One particular initiative is to reduce shortages and high import costs via reinvigorating local drug production.
New initiatives have been announced to encourage domestic as well as international investment in Mexico by pharmaceutical and medical device companies, particularly from India, the United States, Europe, South America and Brazil. North Carolina companies may be able to contribute inputs, supplies, services and infrastructure to local growth in medical production.
Plan Mexico Tax Regime
(2025–2030) Immediate depreciation (41–91% in 2025–26; 35–89% in 2027–30); 25% additional deduction for training/innovation; 100% income-tax credit for 3 years; full VAT credit on intercompany transfers.
Decree to Boost
Pharmaceutical Investment
(June 2025)
Extra bid points in public procurement for firms with installed infrastructure or local R&D; multi-ministerial committee negotiates investment; MXN 150 billion (~USD 7.8B) procurement tied to reinvestment.
Logistics & Industrial Zone
Incentive: Interoceanic
Corridor (PODEBIS)
100% income-tax exemption for 3 years, 50–90% relief thereafter if job targets met; 4 years VAT exemption; Profharmax investment within corridor (USD 1.8B regional commitment).
IMMEX/Maquiladora and
PROSEC Duty-Deferral
Programs
Duty-free import of materials and equipment for export manufacturing under IMMEX; PROSEC reduces duties on imported pharma inputs for domestic and export markets.
R&D Tax Credits via
CONACYT
30% credit on R&D expenses exceeding 3-year average; MXN 50M annual cap per taxpayer; MXN 1.5B total annual program cap.
Recent investment announcements include over 500 million USD by Mexican companies Laboratorios Kener, Genbio, Alpharma BioGenTec, and Neolsym. This is in addition to international companies Sanofi, Reddy’s, Zydus Cadila, Glenmark, Torrent, and Hetero. Companies are building and expanding infrastructure for the production of biopharmaceuticals, biotech medications, vaccines, raw materials, and medical supplies, including the first plasma fractionation plant in Latin America.
In addition to stimulating investment, Mexico is seeking to streamline imports. In the past,
medicines and devices being imported into Mexico have taken up to 2 years to be approved for importation by COFEPRIS (Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios), Mexico’s regulatory agency for health-related products, similar to the FDA in the US. Over the past 3 years, the agency has undertaken reforms aimed at improving transparency, reducing approval times, and fostering pharmaceutical innovation and domestic production. Between 2023 and 2024, COFEPRIS implemented an accelerated review process for essential medicines, biosimilars, and high-priority therapeutics, particularly those targeting chronic diseases and affected by shortages. The measures have benefited both foreign and Mexican pharmaceutical companies by facilitating the granting of manufacturing and marketing licenses.
In 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, a shortage of medications has continued to affect key treatments. Since several NC companies can support in drug distribution, some of the tough-to-source medicines are listed below.
• Diabetes:
Glibenclamide, NPH insulin, insulin lispro, liraglutide, dapagliflozin, desmopressin
• Hypertension / Cardiovascular:
Enalapril, losartan, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, atorvastatin, ezetimibe, rivaroxaban
• Oncological diseases:
Methotrexate, actinomycin, cytarabine, ifosfamide, risedronic acid, etoposide,
cyclophosphamide, vincristine, mercaptopurine, polymeric enteral nutrition formula
• Neurological / Epilepsy / Pain:
Levetiracetam, pregabalin (Lyrica), gabapentin, paracetamol, celecoxib, carbamazepine
• Mental health / Psychiatry:
Alprazolam, duloxetine, amitriptyline, olanzapine, clozapine, methylphenidate, lithium
carbonate
• Immunosuppressants / Transplant:
Tacrolimus, sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil
• Endocrinology:
Cabergoline, fluticasone, vitamin D3
• Infectious diseases / Antibiotics:
Ceftriaxone, penicillin G benzathine
• Gastrointestinal / Nutrition:
Calcium effervescent
• Obstetric / Reproductive health:
Carbetocin, oral contraceptives
• Palliative care / Analgesia:
Morphine