Everything You Need To Know About Generic Ozempic

Canadians who’ve been unable to access the diabetes and obesity drug Ozempic because of the cost got some good news this week. Cheaper versions of the injectable drug are starting to make their way into Canadian pharmacies.

Earlier this year. Health Canada authorized two generic versions of Ozempic, after Danish company Novo ‌Nordisk’s patent on the injection’s primary active ingredient semaglutide expired as well as its exclusive market authorization. The companies currently authorized by Health Canada to produce generic versions are Apotex and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories—but there will likely be more producers to come, as the agency is currently reviewing seven other applications for authorization. Here's what you need to know about generic Ozempic.

Cost is a huge barrier in accessing Ozempic

The injection, which was first developed to treat type-2 diabetes, has emerged as the drug of choice for millions around the world.

Canada is no exception. Ozempic is the leading single drug driving public spending in Canada, according to the Canadian Health Institute for Health Information, accounting for $807 million of $20.1 billion publicly spent on prescription drugs. The drug is typically covered by public plans when it’s used to treat type-2 diabetes, but those who want to use it for weight management are usually on the hook to pay the cost of the injections themselves.

According to a March 2026 survey done by Leger Healthcare, an estimated three million Canadians are currently using GLP-1s and the majority of those people are taking them to lose weight. That same survey also made the case for a lower-cost generic version of the injection, arguing it could see wider use among an estimated additional two million Canadian. Nearly half of those polled cited cost concerns or lack of insurance coverage as barriers.

So, just how much cheaper will generic Ozempic be?

Generic Ozempic reportedly costs around $100 a month—one-quarter the price of a monthly supply of the brand-name version. That said, the cost of the latter is also coming down for some people. On May 26, Novo Nordisk Canada announced it is reducing prices on brand-name Ozempic for Canadians who don’t have insurance or public coverage to "[align] their medication costs with generic alternatives.” This price change will take effect on May 29 and can only be accessed with a Novo Nordisk savings card.

When can I access generic versions?

Apotex reportedly began shipping its generic version—Apo-Semiglutide Injection—on May 26; Dr. Reddy's version—which is sold in India under the brand name Obeda—is already in some pharmacies with a wider roll-out in the next week.

How can I access generic versions?

Like Ozempic, the generics are only available with a doctor’s prescription. However, your doctor may not offer you a generic alternative—or even know they exist. Instead, Dr. Hertzel Gerstein, a professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., says patients should ask their doctors for a generic option—especially if they're paying out of pocket.

Aside from price, are there any key differences between the generics and Ozempic?

There’s no pharmacological difference between the generic and the brand-name version, says Gerstein. “When Health Canada is approving it as a generic, it means they’ve found to their satisfaction [that] this drug is the same chemically as Ozempic; that it has the same effect on levels in the blood; the same sort of duration of action."

The generic injection is made with semaglutide, the same active ingredient in Ozempic. Semaglutide is a  glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist—or GLP-1 for short; GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone our body makes when we eat.

“It's made by our intestine, and when the hormone circulates through the blood, it does a lot of things to us," explains Gerstein. "It reduces appetite, it reduces how fast the stomach empties, so you feel full, and it increases the pancreas’ production of insulin.” he says. GLP-1 acts on the brain, the gut and the pancreas.

However, the naturally occurring hormone and its appetite-suppressing effects have a short lifespan. In fact, it dissolves within the body in minutes, explains Gerstein.

“Semaglutide has the same effect of the hormone, but it’s been modified to have a longer duration of action, so it lasts a week," says Gerstein. (For more on how Ozempic works, read our detailed explainer.)

Though the generic versions of Ozempic may be made using a different process, Gerstein says if Health Canada approved them, the drugs would need to be nearly identical to the original. That means they share the same potential side effects, too, the most common being nausea, headache, belly pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Rare reactions can include serious complications like pancreatitis.