A major Brazilian pharmaceutical company is setting its sights on global expansion after completing a massive acquisition deal worth more than half a billion dollars.
EMS, owned by Grupo NC holding, completed the purchase of Medley, Sanofi’s Brazilian generic drug manufacturing division, for over $500 million last week. The transaction solidifies EMS’s position as a leading generic medication producer in Latin America’s biggest economy.
As the company works to integrate its new Medley acquisition, leadership is already considering additional purchases throughout its current operational territories including Brazil, Mexico, and Eastern Europe, according to Thiago Tavares, who serves as CEO of parent company Grupo NC holding. Tavares shared these plans during a Tuesday interview.
“We should also look beyond Brazil to expand our operations and truly become a more global company,” Tavares explained, noting that EMS used its own funds to finance the Medley purchase.
The executive expressed optimism about future acquisition opportunities, particularly in international markets. “I see us with major possibilities for acquisitions, especially abroad,” Tavares stated, outlining intentions to grow the company’s presence in the United States, where it currently maintains a preoperational facility, sometime after 2030.
If Brazilian antitrust authority CADE approves the Medley transaction, EMS could control approximately 30% of Brazil’s generic drug market, Tavares projected. He anticipates regulatory approval will proceed smoothly given the presence of strong market competitors including Cimed and Eurofarma.
Beyond the Medley acquisition, EMS has additional growth strategies in development. The company is preparing to introduce its own semaglutide-based injection devices pending approval from Brazilian health regulator Anvisa, Tavares revealed.
Brazil’s patent protection for semaglutide, the key component in Novo Nordisk’s popular diabetes and weight management medication Ozempic, is nearing expiration. This will allow Brazilian manufacturers to develop their own generic alternatives.
Competitor Hypera previously announced plans to release its semaglutide generic version during the current year.
While Tavares expects to finalize decisions regarding the semaglutide product launch soon, he couldn’t provide a specific timeline. “I think the product has already been more than sufficiently tested, so once the approval comes through, we’ll launch it,” he said. “It’s very feasible to launch it this year.”
