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In an increasingly competitive pharmaceutical market, manufacturers must strive to remain competitive and appeal to the ever more-informed consumer. The sales of any consumer product are determined by a series of factors; packaging being one of the most important. The case is no different for pharmaceuticals, where primary and secondary packaging play a decisive role in the sales of any given medication.

Brazil’s GDP grew 5.4% in 2007 to US$1.1 trillion. Foreign direct investment in Brazil practically doubled from 2006 to 2007, from US$18.7 billion to over US$34 billion. While growth is projected to slow to 4.8% in 2008, investment opportunities abound in Latin America’s largest economy. Brazil is slated to have more IPO’s than any other Latin American country in 2008. Despite the general optimism, pitfalls are real and can be extremely detrimental to the foreign investor. Undisclosed liabilities, hidden ownership, and questionable practices and reputations of local management are some of the issues that a company could face when doing business in Brazil. In almost 30% of all partnerships, acquisitions or joint-ventures, a potential problem lies just under the surface.

As the Central American economies consolidate, distribution channels are evolving as a direct result.  The fast-changing regional market realities, spurred by the implementation of the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement with the United States, are providing a competitive advantage to new companies that can start planning their sales and distribution approaches from the beginning, and poses a challenge to the established players that still need to re-organize their strategies to match the chancing scenario.

Business between the US and Venezuela is booming, with record highs in trade and private capital investments last year. At the same time, perceived risk is on the rise due to Venezuela’s suspected role in narcotics trafficking, relationship with Iran and alleged support of the FARC. Financial institutions can both retain their Venezuelan clients and manage risk by developing a sound compliance program that will satisfy heightened regulatory scrutiny.