How Four Pillars Are Latin America and MENA Market Access

Latin American and MENA markets have long faced the challenge of balancing constrained public budgets with rising demand for newer therapies. In 2025, governments in these regions took concrete steps to modernize pricing rules, raise evidence expectations, expand partnership models, and link localization more directly to access. In Trinity’s webinar “Around the World in Market Access 2026: Global Trends Life Sciences Leaders Need to Watch,” the LatAm/MENA section focused on four pillars that are now shaping market access strategy. 

Pillar 1: Pricing Modernization

Several markets updated price-setting frameworks to increase control over list prices and exposure to international reference pricing. In Brazil, a 20-year-old policy was replaced with a new structure that expanded price categories from six to eight and introduced a specific biosimilar category with a mandatory discount. The international reference basket was widened to 14 countries with a four-country minimum, increasing Brazil’s exposure to global price corridors. 

Saudi Arabia strengthened the link between list pricing and pharmacoeconomic value and granted more explicit repricing authority, including a unified 25% cut for originators at the first similar entry. These changes reflect a broader regional trend: launch sequencing and reference exposure now play a larger role in brand and portfolio planning. 

Pillar 2: Rising Evidence Thresholds and HTA

Evidence expectations are also increasing. Argentina created the National Agency for the Evaluation of Health Technology Financing (ANEFiTS) to centralize value assessments and reduce judicialization. In the Gulf, Saudi Arabia mandated economic evaluations for all new registrations and price renewals, and the UAE introduced formal HTA guidelines to support a shift toward value-based care. 

For manufacturers, this means earlier and more targeted evidence planning. Local relevance and data quality matter more, and teams need to equip field and payer-facing colleagues with tools that translate global data into country-specific value stories and meet emerging HTA standards. 

Pillar 3: Partnerships Over Discounts 

Discounts remain important, but many markets are now looking for more structured partnerships. In Colombia, fiscal pressure accelerated interest in risk-sharing agreements, budget caps, and outcome-based models. Saudi Arabia worked on a national managed entry agreement framework that includes both price-reduction and uncertainty-mitigation approaches, and MEAs are beginning to move from pilots to more structured access strategies for high-cost and specialty therapies. 

These agreements are expected to expand further, even as infrastructure gaps in data systems, governance, and legal frameworks remain a barrier. Manufacturers that invest in outcome-tracking, data infrastructure, and pragmatic contract design can position themselves as preferred partners, not just price takers. 

Pillar 4: Localization and Pooled Procurement

Localization and pooled procurement are becoming central to access strategies in LatAm and MENA. Brazil relaunched its public–private development programs (PDPs/PDILs) with record proposal volumes across oncology, insulin, vaccines, and rare disease. Saudi Arabia accelerated its Vision 2030 localization agenda via Lifera, NUPCO incentives, and major technology-transfer deals. Mexico established biannual consolidated tenders with stricter compliance and performance requirements. 

These moves tie localization and procurement performance more directly to pricing, tender success, and speed of access. Manufacturers that approach localization and tenders as strategic levers, rather than purely operational tasks, are more likely to secure favorable positions, deeper partnerships, and long-term system commitment. 

What Manufacturers Should Do Next

To succeed in Latin America and MENA, manufacturers should: 

• Map how new pricing rules affect global price corridors and launch sequencing 

• Strengthen local HEOR capabilities and integrate evidence planning earlier in development 

• Build managed entry agreement playbooks and outcome-tracking processes 

• Evaluate localization and tender opportunities as part of core access and partnership strategy 

Teams that align pricing, evidence, partnerships, and localization will be better equipped to navigate an environment where access decisions are more structured and expectations continue to rise. 

To explore these themes in more detail, watch the replay of “Around the World in Market Access 2026: Global Trends Life Sciences Leaders Need to Watch.” Our third annual State of Global Market Access white paper, which expands on what was shared in the webinar, will be released soon, and you can sign up to receive it by visiting TrinityLifeSciences.com. Other blogs summarize the US, Europe, and China sections of the webinar. 

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Author: Valeria Boers Trilles