Apotex and Dr. Reddy’s Generic Ozempic Semaglutide Arrive in Canada

Two generic versions of the diabetes medication Ozempic are beginning to arrive in Canadian pharmacies this week, offering patients a lower-cost alternative. The generic drugs, which contain the active ingredient semaglutide, were approved by Health Canada approximately three weeks ago.

The products are manufactured by Apotex, a Canadian company, and Dr. Reddy’s, based in India. Apotex stated it began shipping its product on Tuesday, while Dr. Reddy’s reported its semaglutide has already arrived at select pharmacies and will become more widely available across the country in the coming days.

Apotex indicated its generic version will be priced at approximately one-third the cost of the brand-name Ozempic, which is produced by Novo Nordisk and can currently cost patients hundreds of dollars per month. A spokesperson for Dr. Reddy’s said its pricing would be competitive but did not provide specific details. According to the pricing structure of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, when two generic medications enter the market, they are priced at least 50 percent cheaper than the brand-name product, though companies can set prices even lower.

Both Ozempic and the new generic...