Brazil GLP‑1 drug market grows modestly, informal sector supplies over half of doses

Data from IQVIA show Brazil’s pharmaceutical market recorded a 5.77% increase in sales in May, a slowdown from the 14.55% growth seen in the same month a year earlier. The rise was largely driven by GLP‑1 injection pens; without their contribution, net growth would have been only 0.13% and, after inflation adjustment, a real decline. Generic dapagliflozin products also posted a 4.40% rise, while the similar‑drug segment fell 9.96% as generics replaced it.

A separate study by data‑analytics firm Scanntech estimates that more than 50% of GLP‑1 doses circulating in Brazil come from the informal market, based on a marked excess in insulin‑syringe sales. The informal channel helped fuel a 239% increase in overall GLP‑1 consumption in the first quarter of 2026 versus the same period in 2025. About 6% of Brazilian adults now use GLP‑1 medications, with 87.4% paying out‑of‑pocket, many spending up to R$600 per month.