Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 10, 2026
3 min readLast updated: April 1, 2026
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Brazil’s EMS, controlled by Grupo NC, has agreed to acquire Sanofi’s generics unit Medley for over US$600 million (around R$3.1–3.2 billion), potentially boosting its market share in Brazil’s generics to ~31%. The company also plans to launch semaglutide injector pens once Anvisa approval is granted
By Gabriel Araujo and Luciana Magalhaes
SAO PAULO, March 10 (Reuters) - Brazilian drugmaker EMS is open to fresh acquisitions to expand internationally after inking a major deal to buy Sanofi's Brazil-based generic drugmaker Medley, and is gearing up to launch its own semaglutide-based injector pens in its home market.
EMS, controlled by Grupo NC holding, last week announced its purchase of Medley for more than $500 million, further strengthening its position as a top player in the generics market in Latin America's largest economy.
While preparing to integrate Medley, EMS is also eyeing additional deals across its existing markets in Brazil, Mexico, and Eastern Europe, Thiago Tavares, CEO of Grupo NC holding, said in an interview on Tuesday.
"We should also look beyond Brazil to expand our operations and truly become a more global company," said Tavares, who noted that the Medley acquisition will be funded with EMS's own capital.
"I see us with major possibilities for acquisitions, especially abroad," Tavares said, mentioning plans to expand the group's footprint in the United States, where it already has a preoperational unit, after 2030.
EMS's share of Brazil's generics market could grow to around 30% if the Medley acquisition is approved by antitrust regulator CADE, Tavares said. He said he expects the approval to be smooth as the market includes strong competitors such as Cimed and Eurofarma.
But EMS's plans to grow on generics go beyond the Medley deal. It is also gearing up to launch its own semaglutide-based injector pens as soon as regulator Anvisa clears the product for sale in Brazil, Tavares said.
The patent protection for semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic, is about to expire in Brazil, allowing firms there to produce their own versions.
Rival Hypera had previously said it planned to launch its generic version of semaglutide this year.
Tavares said he expects to make a decision about its semaglutide drug soon, though he did not know exactly when.
"I think the product has already been more than sufficiently tested, so once the approval comes through, we'll launch it," Tavares said. "It's very feasible to launch it this year."
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Luciana Magalhaes; Editing by Will Dunham)
EMS acquired Sanofi's Brazil-based generic drugmaker Medley for over $500 million.
EMS aims to expand internationally, targeting acquisitions abroad and increasing its share of the Brazilian generics market to around 30%.
The Medley acquisition will be funded with EMS's own capital.
EMS is preparing to launch its own semaglutide-based injector pens after regulatory approval.
EMS is looking at further deals in Brazil, Mexico, Eastern Europe, and plans to expand in the United States after 2030.
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