Last week saw the BIO International Convention– one of the world’s leading events for biotechnology– in the border city of San Diego, California. Mexico had a strong showing at the event with multiple panels given and its MEX BIO pavilion, a coordinated presence that consisted of 20 participating companies and organizations. All conceived as a way to brand Mexico’s life biotechnology ecosystem for potential investors and partners.
“MEX BIO aims to connect Mexico with the world by facilitating high-value interactions with global companies, investors, research organizations and public institutions. Through curated activities and business meetings, the pavilion serves as a gateway to explore opportunities across the value chain, from research and clinical development to manufacturing and commercialization.” – Mex Bio organizers on their purpose at the convention.
Several of its participants are behind recent investments in Mexican pharmaceutical manufacturing. These were highlighted last month when Mexico’s president hosted, in one of her daily morning conferences, the heads of Mexico operations for several of the companies to announce the equivalent of about 1.2 billion USD in production and research expansion in Mexico. This thanks to incentives put in place by the president’s national development plan, Plan Mexico, which requires technology transfer in exchange for major public procurement contracts of medicines.
- ABBOTT: 3.5 billion MXN for a new 20,000 m² manufacturing facility in Santiago de Queretaro, inaugurated this January. The plant will expand production of medical devices used for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders. 1,200 jobs by 2030 proposed.
- Bristol Myers Squibb, 1 billion MXN: directed to expanding its clinical research performed in Mexico, which is currently focused on blood cancers; cardiovascular diseases; gastroinestinal, lung, and genitourinary cancers; autoimmune diseases; and melanoma.
- Neolpharma, 750 million MXN: Expansion of the company’s API production capacity via plants in Toluca, Estado de Mexico, and Morelos. They have combined capacity of 2,300 tonnes per year of pharmaceutical raw materials. La Jornada newspaper recently ran an in-depth feature on API production expansion nationwide featuring Neolpharma.
- Opella, 2.3 billion MXN: Expansion and modernization of the Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico plant, including a new production line for Enterogermina® digestive health products. The investment is intended to position Mexico as a regional export platform for Latin America. 50 direct and 450 indirect jobs.
- Laboratorios Kener, 5.36 billion MXN; Three-part investment to expand high-volume injectables production at its Toluca plant; co-investment with the Mexican government for its Hemoderivatives Plant 2; with a multinational partner, build a biologics plant. 220 direct and 550 indirect jobs.
- Officials noted this is in addition to a July 2025 annoucement, bringing Kener’s cumulative commitment to 10.54 billion MXN. This was to start building the new injectables plant in Toluca, to build a center for oncology and antibiotic compounding, and a CAR-T cell production center, the first in Latin America.
- Liomont, 4 billion MXN: New oral solid dosage plant plus expansion of biologic injectable and vaccine production in Ocoyoacac. Also includes expansion of bio-pharmaceutical and vaccine production and construction of an mRNA synthesis and encapsulation facility in Cuajimalpa, Mexico City.
- Sanofi, 2 billion MXN: Construction of an insulin manufacturing plant intended to supply 100% of Mexican patients requiring insulin: formulation, filling and packaging of first- and second-generation basal insulins, and rapid-acting insulin. The company also highlighted its existing vaccine antigen facility in Estado de Mexico, which employs about 2,300 people, and ongoing MXN 655 million annually in clinical research.
- Bayer, 3 billion MXN: Expansion of the Lerma, Estado de Mexico, pharmaceutical manufacturing site through construction of an additional solid dosage forms plant. The facility will supply Latin America and North America; installation of a new sterile hormonal injectable production line; modernization of its Orizaba, Veracruz, hormonal active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) plant, one of only four Bayer API facilities globally. The plant manufactures hormonal active pharmaceutical ingredients for Mexico and export markets.
- Bayer is also investing in research in partnership with the Mexican government, specifically with IMSS, the national cancer institute, the national pediatrics institute, and three national and regional public hospitals.
Several pharmaceutical manufacturers participated in Mexico’s pavilion at BIO International last week in San Diego. These companies are invested in enhancing Mexico’s integration into North American biotech supply chains. Source and detailed press release in English: Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores
These new investments are related to new requirements by the Mexican government, that public procurement of patented or single-source medicines requires the manufacturer to reinvest part of the awarded contract value. Published in February of this year, the requirement came with the establishment of a national pharmaceutical investment committee. The requirement outlines that investments derived from public procurement must go to research, clinical trials, or R&D investment in Mexico (2% of contract value); and manufacturing or production capacity in Mexico (1% of contract value). Investment must create jobs in the formal economy with contributions to the Mexican social security system (1% of contract value).
We have covered Plan Mexico for other industries in this blog, including textile and semiconductor manufacturing. You can explore the official English-language website about the plan here.