The survey highlights the main public health needs in the country, with emphasis on the cardiovascular system and the increased demand for drugs for the nervous system and digestive tract, reinforcing the importance of generic drugs in providing access to healthcare for the population.
Therapeutic classes are categories used to organize and classify drugs according to their effect on the body. This classification helps healthcare professionals, researchers, and regulatory agencies better understand the role of each drug in treating different diseases and symptoms.
In this sense, each specialty groups together substances that may share a common therapeutic class, facilitating prescription and treatment monitoring.
Featured, 4 specialties lead the sales ranking:
- Medications for the cardiovascular system: these include substances that act on the heart and blood vessels.
- Medications for the nervous system: these include medications that affect the brain and central nervous system.
- Medicines for the digestive system and metabolism: these include substances that aid digestion and metabolism.
- Medications for the muscular and skeletal system: these include pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs for pain and inflammation in muscles and bones.
According to Tiago de Moraes Vicente, CEO of PróGenéricos, these classes allow for an organized approach and facilitate understanding of the treatment options available for different medical conditions. “In Brazil, the specialty that leads the sales ranking is the cardiovascular system, which accumulated approximately 601,905,517 units sold from January to August this year. Among the most prescribed classes are antihypertensives, which help control blood pressure, and anticoagulants, which prevent the formation of clots.”
Next are drugs that act on the nervous system, totaling more than 400 million units. These drugs include anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants, intended for the treatment of conditions such as anxiety, depression, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders.
However, drugs for the digestive system and metabolism rank third, with over 215 million units sold. This group includes classes such as antacids, proton pump inhibitors, and metabolic regulators, which treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux, ulcers, diabetes, and metabolic problems. The high demand is related to the increase in gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases, especially diabetes, which is often related to lifestyle.
In fourth place in the ranking are drugs for the muscular and skeletal system, totaling almost 188 million units sold. These include painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxants, commonly used to treat conditions such as arthritis, muscle pain, and other diseases related to bone and muscle structure.
Other specialties and therapeutic classes in the ranking:
Genitourinary System and Sex Hormones, Systemic Anti-infectives
Medications in this class act on the kidneys, bladder, and reproductive system and include sex hormones, such as contraceptives and hormone therapies.
Systemic anti-infectives
Includes antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals that treat systemic infections, i.e., infections that affect the entire body and require oral or intravenous treatment.
Dermatologicals
Medicines for the treatment of skin conditions, such as creams, ointments, and lotions for dermatitis, psoriasis, skin infections, acne, among others.
Respiratory Device
Includes medications used to treat respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and allergies. Examples include bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, and antiallergics.
Systemic Hormones, except Sex Hormones
Hormones that affect body systems, excluding sex hormones, such as insulin (for diabetes), thyroid hormones, and corticosteroids.
Parasitology
Includes antiparasitic drugs, used to treat infections caused by parasites, such as worms and protozoa.
Blood and Hematopoietic Organs
Medications that act on the blood and organs that produce blood cells, such as anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, and medications for anemia.
Sensory Organs
Includes medications for the eyes, ears, and nose, such as eye drops, ophthalmic ointments, and solutions for ear infections or rhinitis.
Antiallergics, Antineoplastics, and Immunomodulators
Medications to treat allergies, cancer, and to modify the immune response, such as chemotherapy drugs and immunosuppressants.
Hospital Solutions
Physiological serums, hydration solutions, and other preparations used in intravenous infusions to support patients undergoing clinical treatment.
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