Introduction
In a world where U.S. tariffs and the aftershocks of the pandemic could bring any company to its knees, Laboratorios Sanfer stands tall as a Mexican powerhouse in the region. Under the leadership of Dr. Dagoberto Cortés as general director, Sanfer has charted an ambitious course to the top, proving that with sharp management and a borderless vision, Mexico can foster robust transnational corporations.
Sanfer’s Expansion and Strategy
Fifteen years ago, Sanfer’s board, led by CEO Ricardo Amtmann Aguilar, decided that simply supplying products to Latin American countries through local distributors was insufficient. “The master feeds the horse,” Dr. Cortés explains, referring to their previous strategy of supplying products indirectly. Tired of sending goods only for a weak return, Sanfer took a bold step: goodbye to intermediaries. The company established its flag in 22 countries, from Colombia to Argentina, with subsidiaries and factories under the Sanfer prefix, such as Sanfer Pasteur in Chile or Sanfer Portugal in Peru.
Today, with nearly 10,000 employees and 21 plants across the region, including a newly inaugurated facility in Bogotá for $35 million, Sanfer not only supplies Central and South America but aims to export to Europe and Asia. Their secret lies in a triple strategy:
- Organic growth: Developing high-quality generics after patent expiration, a challenging path in Mexico without tax incentives for research. Their product range includes analgesics, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Notable brands are Andantol, Bisolsek, Bisolvon, Blastum, and Blistex.
- Acquiring established brands: Licensing successful products like Daflon, a varicose vein treatment they’ve marketed for 40 years through an alliance with French company Servier.
- Acquiring entire companies: Purchases like Probiomed in 2021, a promising biotechnology gem in Mexico that brought valuable biocomparables like Etanercep and Rituximab for complex diseases such as autoimmune disorders. Also, Mavi and Vitalis in 2023 and 2024, both with modern plants and robust portfolios.
“We fell in love with the products, not the buildings,” Dr. Cortés explains.
Sanfer’s Business Structure and Market Position
Sanfer’s intelligence lies in its seven business units operating as microenterprises, each with its own director, medical team, and specialized sales force in areas like psychotropics or cardiovascular medicine. With 1,600 representatives—the largest sales force in Latin America—Sanfer promotes 48 products simultaneously without stepping on each other’s toes. This allows them to dominate the 20 leading therapeutic classes in Mexico and position themselves as the second-largest pharmaceutical company nationally, just behind Sanofi and ahead of giants like Pfizer or Bayer.
Sanfer’s Animal Health Division
In animal health, Sanfer built an empire by acquiring a company in Tehuacán, Puebla, in 2015. With a million chickens in Puebla and Sonora, they produce eggs for avian vaccines and specialized feeds exported to Eastern Europe and Asia. In January 2024, they took a bold step by opening a plant in Tennessee, USA, to supply raw materials for vaccines, bypassing the costs of importing eggs from Mexico.
In the U.S. pharmaceutical market, Sanfer sells generics to Walgreens and prepares three new products on request, taking advantage of the fact that Mexican medications aren’t subject to tariffs.
Financial Performance and Future Plans
Sanfer doesn’t disclose its data, but it’s considered an elite pharmaceutical company with double-digit annual revenue growth, the result of a strategy financed by venture capital and bank loans. Going public has been considered, but they’re waiting for the perfect moment.
Meanwhile, their director shares that they’re finalizing a massive distribution center in the State of Mexico to centralize logistics for their seven companies.
Key Figures and Recent Developments
Incorporating Dr. Germán Fajardo Dolci
In February 2025, Sanfer made a masterstroke by incorporating Dr. Germán Fajardo Dolci as medical director, leaving many in the medical community speechless. Fajardo, with an impeccable career, was director of the UNAM Medical School Faculty and president of the National Academy of Medicine, the most prestigious positions a medical professional can aspire to in Mexico. His arrival not only strengthens Sanfer’s scientific credibility but sends a clear message: this company aims to grow and lead with academic excellence and clinical rigor, attracting top talent to solidify its global vision.
Unresolved Payment Issues for Retired Physicians in San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona asserts that the next three years will be the best for his state. However, first, they must resolve financial issues stemming from transitioning the state’s health system to IMSS Bienestar. The payment of 62 retired physicians from the Central Hospital “Dr. Ignacio Morones Prieto” remains unresolved.
President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged assistance, but four weeks have passed without payments or resolutions, leaving elderly physicians in a precarious situation. This is one of the issues centralized healthcare has yet to address.
