Oil is a touchy issue in Mexico, whose constitution bars ownership by anyone but the state of even a molecule of its 30 billion barrels of probable hydrocarbon reserves.
In the case of a newer drug class called biologics, the cost could be even higher, as they are highly complex large-molecule medicines that cannot be easily produced.
But given the size of the oil market, capturing even a tiny niche can represent hyperbolic growth potential for an entrant with a true drop-in molecule.