On 22 January, Fernanda De Negri, Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation in Health (SCTIE) at the Brazilian Ministry of Health, welcomed a delegation of representatives from Sinopharm, considered China's largest state-owned pharmaceutical conglomerate and one of the leading global groups in the sector, to Brasilia. The meeting aimed to identify strategic opportunities for co-operation between the two countries to boost the production of medicines, vaccines and blood products. 

‘Brazil has China as a strategic partner, especially in the development of health technologies,’ said Fernanda De Negri. ‘We want to promote the technological development of new medicines for Brazil, to ensure what I believe to be the goal of both countries: scientific and technological sovereignty in the production of medicines,’ she reiterated. 

The Chinese group was led by the CEO of CNBG (a subsidiary of Sinopharm), Huichuang Yang, and included members of the Beijing Institute of Biological Products (BIBP), a unit linked to CNBG, and East Biotech. 

(Source: Brazilian Federal Government Portal, on 27 January)