The development of a self-sufficient pharmaceutical industry in autarchic Spain: between need, utopia and fracoist propaganda

Abstract

The history of the Spanish pharmaceutical industry is conditioned by its ascription to a Mediterranean model, with small economic impact and a high presence of artisan and professional elements. The industry of organic and fermentative raw materials did not appear until the Franco dictatorship. During the autarchy period, an interest to stimulate the sector seems to have arose: first, by continuing the long going investment on industries of natural products to obtain medical active principles, hence preventing their import; secondly, aimed at long term, by establishing an integral organic chemistry industry to obtain drugs from coal; and finally, by promoting the development of an industry of penicillin synthesis. However, there were a number of elements that hindered the development of the chemical-pharmaceutical industry, including the inherent limitations of the autarchic policies, the excessive number of laboratories and commercialized products, the poor capitalization and lack of research programs of these companies and the insufficient technical and scientific abilities required for these activities.