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, the pharmaceutical company has forged an ambitious path to the top, proving that with sharp management and a borderless vision, Mexico can foster robust transnational corporations.
Sanfer’s Expansion 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. Dr. Cortés explains, “The master’s eye fattened the horse,” meaning they were tired of sending food to a horse that arrived undernourished. The solution was radical: goodbye intermediaries. Sanfer established its own 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 in the region, including a newly opened one in Bogotá for $35 million, Sanfer not only supplies Central and South America but aims to export to Europe and Asia.
The Three-Pronged Strategy
Sanfer’s success lies in its triple strategy: organic growth, acquiring established brands, and purchasing entire companies.
- 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 existing 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 Mexican company that brought valuable biocomparables like Etanercep and Rituximab for complex diseases such as autoimmune disorders. They also acquired Mavi and Vitalis in 2023 and 2024, both with modern plants and robust portfolios.
“We fell in love with the products, not the buildings,” explains Dr. Cortés.
Operational Structure and Market Position
Sanfer’s intelligent strategy is based on 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.
Animal Health Division
In animal health, Sanfer has built an empire since 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 demand, 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. They’ve contemplated going public but are waiting for the perfect moment.
Meanwhile, they’re finalizing a massive distribution center in the State of Mexico to centralize logistics for their seven companies. Sanfer undoubtedly showcases that Mexico can birth powerful, visionary transnationals.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Dr. Dagoberto Cortés? He is the General Director of Laboratorios Sanfer, a prominent Mexican pharmaceutical company.
- What is Sanfer’s expansion strategy? It involves organic growth by developing high-quality generics, acquiring established brands, and purchasing entire companies.
- How does Sanfer’s operational structure contribute to its success? Its seven business units operate as microenterprises, each with specialized sales forces and medical teams, allowing them to dominate various therapeutic classes in Mexico.
- What is Sanfer’s position in the animal health market? Sanfer has a strong presence in animal health, producing vaccines and specialized feeds for export to Europe and Asia.
- What are Sanfer’s future plans? They aim to centralize logistics with a massive distribution center and consider going public when the timing is right.
