OBJECTIVES: In 2008 Brazil kicked-off public-private partnerships (PDPs) to locally produce drugs to the public healthcare system. The aim of this study is to understand how PDPs progressed and opportunities ahead.

METHODS: A search in multiple databases was conducted: Ministry of Health (MoH), Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, BVS Economia da Saúde and Rede Brasileira de Avaliação de Tecnologias em Saúde. A review and an analysis of reports and articles was performed. Findings allowed us to identify a timeline for PDPs, main milestones and coming challenges.

RESULTS: The progress of PDPs can be divided into three phases: 1. Early stages (2008-2011), 2. Expansion (2012-2014) and 3. Tumble (2015-nowadays). In the “Early stages” the government implemented tech transfer agreements focusing mainly the vaccines field. A total of 6 products were developed, according to the MoH. During the “Expansion” (stimulated by Federal Decree 837/2012) attention was directed to 11 drugs targeting rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis and oncology and 10 medical devices targeting heart diseases. Savings of USD 1.7 billion/year were estimated. Finally, in the “Tumble” there was a steep reduction in the number of projects. Only 2 PDPs: one aiming HIV/AIDS: a USD 1.9 million/year contract and the other for mental disorder. Finally, based on MoH data, the key epidemiological transitions in Brazil are: 1. Ageing population: in 2030, there will be 40 million elderly people (18% of population); and 2. Overweight: over 50% of the population living in state capitals are overweight.

CONCLUSIONS: PDPs have shown their contribution to the society in the last decade, despite the decline in the number of partnerships in recent years. Considering the imminent increase of chronic diseases in the ageing population and the timeframe to fully implement technology transfers, PDPs possibly represent a pivotal tool to effectively address the needs of the healthcare system.