Latin America Healthcare: Feedback from meeting with Brazilian Diabetes Society’s president

Research evidence excerpt

Latin America Healthcare: Feedback from meeting with Brazilian Diabetes Society’s president

Equity Research

24 July 2026 | 8:57AM BRT

Latin America Healthcare: Feedback from meeting with Brazilian

Diabetes Society’s president

On July 23, 2026, we hosted Dr. João Salles (endocrinologist, president of the Gustavo Miele

+55(11)3371-0834 |

Brazilian Diabetes Society, director of clinical medicine at Santa Casa São Paulo and gustavo.miele@gs.com

Goldman Sachs do Brasil CTVM S.A.

adjunct professor at Faculdade Santa Casa SP) to discuss the GLP-1 similars

landscape in Brazil, covering market growth, the parallel market, pricing competition,

oral formulations and the overall regulatory environment on the category. We

present the key takeaways below.

GLP-1 similars (or analogs) are likely to keep growing sharply amid high efficacy

of the products and obesity prevalence in Brazil

n First emerging in 2005 for diabetes and expanding to chronic weight

management in 2014, GLP-1 receptor agonists have shown sharp growth in

recent years. Dr. Salles notes that obesity, defined as a BMI above 30, affects one

in four adults in Brazil, while >60% have excess weight (BMI>25) and there is solid

evidence that GLP-1 therapies are effective not only in diabetes and obesity, but

also in reducing major cardiovascular events in selected high-risk populations,

which should continue sustaining GLP-1 growth in Brazil.

n Regarding inclusion in the public healthcare system, the pathway remains

challenging, primarily due to the drug’s high budget impact, given its very large

addressable market and still elevated ticket. However, as prices become more

competitive, he sees potential for progress in approving semaglutide for narrow,