Medley sees “new phase” with possible purchase by EMS and aims to grow beyond generics

The possible acquisition of Medley by EMS should inaugurate a “new phase” for the generic manufacturer, according to the company’s general director, Lucia Rossato. In an exclusive conversation on InfoMoney Interviewthe executive stated that the company is experiencing one of the most important moments in its 30-year history and that the separation from Sanofi was designed to give Medley more agility, speed and expansion capacity. “The Medley brand is in its best shape, stronger than ever,” he said.

It still depends on approval from the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade). Meanwhile, operations remain independent. Today, the leader EMS has more than 20% of the Brazilian generics market, while Medley occupies third position, with around 10% share – but the acquired company has more ambitious plans.

“The next 30 years could be even more promising for Medley, including going beyond generics,” he stated. The executive highlighted that the company ended 2025 with the highest growth in its history, above 20%, and maintained an expansion of 23% in the first quarter of this year, even in the midst of the transition process.

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Check out the main excerpts from the conversation below.

InfoMoney: What is the status of Medley’s agreement with EMS?

Lucia Rossato: The intention to purchase Medley by the EMS group remains pending approval from Cade. Meanwhile, Medley and EMS continue to operate completely independently. This transition process began in December 2024, when we announced to the market our intention to separate Medley from Sanofi, in a structure stand alone. This is the hallmark of our independence: more agility, more growth, expansion of our portfolio. At the same time, we had an absolute priority: not to lose control of the business during the transition. We managed to grow, keep the team engaged and continue delivering results.

InfoMoney: Is the Medley brand at risk of disappearing from the shelves with the entry of EMS?

Lucia Rossato: No. The Medley brand is in its best shape, stronger than ever. Our purpose is to democratize access to generics from North to South of the country, and this tends to become stronger. The expectation is to enter a phase of even more investment, more technology, more portfolio. We are very excited about the next 30 years: the idea is to accelerate growth and gain more dynamism, speed and ambidexterity – execute and transform at the same time.

InfoMoney: Is this movement also linked to the need for more capital and investments in a naturally expensive sector, such as pharmaceuticals, which requires high technology?

Lucia Rossato: Undoubtedly. Sanofi today is focused on biotechnology, vaccines and innovative medicines. Medley is a generics company in Brazil, with a completely different business logic. In pharmaceutical retail, with more than 90 thousand pharmacies, you need extreme operational efficiency, speed, and very complex logistics. There is also the transformation of the pharmacy itself: the advancement of e-commerce, the hybrid consumer journey, the role of the pharmacy as a hub health – vaccination, rapid tests, primary care services. To keep up with all this, Medley needs more agility and dynamism. Independence is a response to this need.

InfoMoney: You mentioned logistics. When we think about the cost of medicines, what are the main drivers today? Imported IFAs (active pharmaceutical ingredient), logistics, another factor?

Lucia Rossato: It’s a set of factors. The IFA chain is global. Brazil has already produced a relevant share internally and today imports most of it, so input costs are important. But that’s not all. Logistics is a very relevant factor. Brazil is a continent, and transporting medicines requires approved carriers, specific structures, and temperature control. I’ll give you an example: I visited clients in Manaus. When the river dries up, access to medicines in riverside areas can delay up to 20 days. Today you have technology, even drones, but all of this has a cost. That’s why we work very closely with distributors and logistics operators, with planning and flexibility for weather events, floods, transport crises, fuel variations. It is a delicate gear, which seeks efficiency without compromising access.

InfoMoney: Does the rise in fuel prices, such as diesel, which we saw with the war in Iran, directly impact Medley’s costs?

Lucia Rossato: Impact, yes. We have a factory in Campinas and two large distribution centers – Extrema (MG) and Guarulhos (SP) – precisely designed to optimize logistics. But fuel variations, transport strikes and geopolitical crises affect our contracts with carriers. In a highly regulated industry, hiring suppliers and logistics operators rigorously is as critical as selling well. The cost is sensitive and drug shortages are unacceptable: 80% of our portfolio are prescription medicines, which remain behind the counter, used in scenarios of real need. Rupture frustrates the consumer, the pharmacist and the entire chain.

InfoMoney: About generics: 2025 was a record year for the segment. How is Medley in this context? And do you intend to go beyond generics?

Lucia Rossato: Last year, Medley had the biggest growth in its history: more than 20%. In the first quarter of this year, we already grew 23%. It is a result that we are proud of, especially in a time of transition. We continue to focus on generics, this is our main vocation. But the portfolio goes further: we already work with similar medicines and have great potential to advance in channels such as hospitals and the institutional market. The Medley brand is very strong: it has been in Brazil for 30 years, 9 years as Top of Mindamong the 50 most valuable brands in the ranking InfoMoney. Despite this progress, Brazil is still not a mature generics market. When compared to the USA and Europe, there is a lot of room to democratize access, especially outside the Southeast axis. Getting the product to reach the North, Northeast and interior efficiently is a logistical and capillarity challenge.

InfoMoney: Everyone talks about the patent loss of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic. Will Medley enter the “war” of weight loss pens?

Lucia Rossato: This is “the” question of the moment. Pens are a milestone of industry innovation, without a doubt. But, in the short term, it is not in Medley’s plans to launch a peptide of this type. From a regulatory point of view, the generic is born when the reference patent falls. It needs to be equivalent, and there are big differences between synthetic generics – Medley’s focus today, produced in Campinas – and biological/peptide products. The cycles are long: to place a generic on the market, from development to approval by Anvisa, we are talking about around 30 months. Could it be a possibility in the future? It can, because we have an R&D and business development area looking at a horizon of 3, 5, 10 years. But at the moment, there is no concrete plan to launch its own weight loss pen.

InfoMoney: What about social networks? Do they help or hinder the pharmaceutical industry?

Lucia Rossato: I would say they help, as long as there is balance and responsibility. It’s a very regulated industry, so we need highly qualified communications and marketing teams to talk to consumers. Today we find a good balance between traditional and digital channels. We maintain very strong communication with healthcare professionals – doctors, pharmacists – and, at the same time, with the end consumer, across different ages, social classes and regions. We also carry out regional brand execution: the way of communicating Medley on the São João festival in the Northeast is different from the Southeast, for example. But all within Anvisa’s RDCs, which are clear about what can and cannot be done, especially in prescribed medicines.

InfoMoney: Can you give a practical example of what is prohibited for the industry on networks?

Lucia Rossato: A central point: around 80% of our portfolio is labeled prescription medicines. As a rule, we cannot communicate these products directly to the consumer. Communication is aimed at healthcare professionals – doctors, pharmacists, dentists. Another example: not every e-commerce platform can sell over-the-counter medicines. There are ongoing regulatory discussions, such as sales in supermarkets. Medley monitors and prepares for any outcome, but always within very clear limits. In the end, we are talking about medicine, which needs to be used according to the label and under adequate supervision.

InfoMoney: What are Medley’s main challenges for 2026?

Lucia Rossato: Today we have around 10% share of the total generics market, in third position. The future is very promising, but the biggest immediate challenge is maintaining business speed amid the transition. A business combination of this size generates concern among employees and customers. Many answers still depend on Cade. Since we announced our intention for independence in December 2024, more than 500 days have passed. We made a very successful transition, with strong growth and low turnover – below the market average. For 2026, continuing this balance is key.