Ozempic set to become more affordable, accessible in Canada — raising concerns of drug abuse

As demand surges for weight loss drugs, Kamil Karamali looks at rising safety concerns and potential side effects.

Ozempic, the popular weight-loss drug that made headlines in Hollywood, could become much cheaper and more widely distributed in Canada — after its manufacturer’s Canadian patent is set to expire in January 2026 — but that’s also sparking concern that it may result in more patients abusing the drug.

“I think my real worry is that if you start getting into a situation where online clinics are handing out these prescriptions willy-nilly to anyone who pays their $50 processing fee,” said Dr. Christopher Labos, a cardiologist and epidemiologist based in Montreal, to CTV News over Zoom on Sunday.

“That’s a potential where you’re going to start seeing a lot more harm from these medications.”

Ozempic, which was primarily used to treat diabetes, also became a popular weight-loss drug. Its sole manufacturer, global pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, also created Wegovy, which is prescribed specifically for weight loss.

Both Ozempic and Wegovy contain the active ingredient semaglutide — and with the Canadian patent for it expiring on Jan. 4, Canada would become the first country in the world where generic versions could be sold for much less, making it more accessible to the general public.

“If a company makes a generic version, which is essentially a copy, most people would assume the effects of that drug would be the same as the effects of the original,” said Dr. Hertzel Gerstein, a leading diabetes researcher at McMaster University.

“It is extremely likely that they’re going to bring it to market at a lower price than the brand names, and if it’s at a lower price, then it means third-party payers such as insurance companies or the government, when they are paying for it, might be able to pay for a cheaper version of what will be construed as the same drug.”

Dr. Allan Grill, chief of family medicine at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital, highlighted the current cost barrier for many patients.

“Right now, I believe it costs about $400 a month if you want to use Wegovy or semaglutide for chronic weight management,” he said.

“Not everyone can afford that unless you have private insurance that can cover it. It’s quite expensive — so when it goes generic, it will obviously become more available because the cost will be down and there will be more of the drug for people to access.”

Companies applying for approval

Hims & Hers Health, an American telehealth company, says it will launch a generic semaglutide in Canada — as one of many companies looking to cash in on the multi-billion-dollar blockbuster weight-loss drug.

In a press release, Hims & Hers said it “plans to offer access to lower-cost treatment options through its digital platform, paired with 24/7 access to licensed providers and personalized, clinically backed care plans.”

“The price for generic semaglutide is expected to be available at a significant discount to the branded versions, with the prices expected to lower over time,” the release added.

Multiple other companies have applied to Health Canada for approval to manufacture and sell semaglutide — but none have been fully approved yet.

“Currently, no Health Canada–approved generic versions of semaglutide exist, and we cannot comment on other manufacturers’ plans. Novo Nordisk is the only company in Canada with Health Canada–approved products containing semaglutide, identified under the trade names Ozempic®, Rybelsus®, and Wegovy®,” Novo Nordisk Canada told CTV News in a statement.

“All intellectual property decisions are carefully considered at a global level. Periods of exclusivity for pharmaceutical products end as part of their normal lifecycle, and generic treatments may become available over time. Novo Nordisk remains committed to supporting people living with diabetes or obesity, helping them manage their health,” it added.

‘It just makes me sick’

Several former Canadian Ozempic users have signed on to a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in October 2023 with the Supreme Court of British Columbia, alleging they were not properly warned of adverse side-effects of the drug.

“We’ve received thousands of contacts from different users of Ozempic experiencing these types of adverse events when taking the drug,” said Jill McCartney, a partner at Siskinds Law Firm, based in London, Ont.

“In the claim, we set out a variety of different adverse events that we alleged the manufacturer either didn’t warn about or didn’t sufficiently warn about — and those include gastrointestinal issues.”

Patricia Miller, a former Ozempic patient, claims she still suffers from the side-effects after taking the drug for six months in 2022 — and says she has been going through “hell.”

“I can’t eat, I can only have liquid foods since I’ve taken it, and half the time I vomit those up,” Miller told CTV News over Zoom from Surrey, B.C., on Sunday. “I’m in such bad pain in my stomach all of the time that I am on a fentanyl patch now.”

“It just makes me sick,” Miller said when asked about her response to semaglutide becoming cheaper and more accessible to the Canadian public. “More people will go through what I’m going through, and I don’t want anybody to go through what I’m going through.”

In response to the class-action suit, Novo Nordisk told CTV News: “Our team is continuously monitoring the safety profile of our products and collaborating closely with health authorities to ensure patient safety information, including adequate information on side effects, is included in the product labelling.”

“Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1 medicines when used by appropriate patients, consistent with the product labelling and approved indications.”