Apotex, Dr Reddy's Map Divergent Global Paths for Generic Semaglutide

The two manufacturers behind Canada's first generic semaglutide products are charting sharply different international strategies, with Apotex CEO Martin Arès telling the BBC the Canadian company is exploring ways to bring its product to American patients while Dr Reddy's confirms its generic will not reach the US, UK or Europe [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Two approvals, two global footprints

Canada became the first G7 country to approve a generic semaglutide injection in May 2026, with Health Canada clearing products from India's Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Canadian manufacturer Apotex [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. The BMJ reported that Canada is only the second country in the world to approve a generic form of the drug, a position made possible after Novo Nordisk did not pay a C$250 annual fee tied to its Canadian patent [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166].

Erez Israeli, chief executive of Dr Reddy's, told the BBC his company has applied for approval in more than 80 countries, including the United States [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Israeli said Dr Reddy's generic GLP-1 product is expected to become available in South America, Africa and most of Asia in addition to Canada, but not in the US, UK or Europe [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Apotex has secured tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, though it cannot yet sell its generic semaglutide in the United States [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Martin Arès, chief executive of Apotex, told the BBC the company is exploring ways to bring its generic product to Americans, but said it will not be on the US market this year [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Arès said the company has experts working on identifying ways to make US access possible [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Why the geographic split

Tahir Amin, chief executive and founder of US-based Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK), told the BBC that Americans would not see a generic version of semaglutide until 2032, when the main compound patent protecting the molecule is expected to expire [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Amin said Novo Nordisk's Canadian patent on Ozempic could have been extended until 2028 but the company failed to renew it [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Novo Nordisk told the BBC the introduction of generics in Canada was a "localized situation based on our specific patent timelines and regulatory environment and does not reflect the situation in the United States, where exclusivity remains intact" [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Endor Health reported that Novo Nordisk's Canadian data exclusivity for semaglutide expired on January 4, 2026 [Source: endorhealth.com/article/generic-ozempic-coming-to-canada].

Canadian supply ramps up

Apotex began shipping its generic semaglutide on Tuesday and has said its product will be approximately one-third the price of Novo Nordisk's brand-name Ozempic [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Dr Reddy's said in an email that its semaglutide has already arrived in select Canadian pharmacies and will be available more widely across the country in the coming days [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. A spokesperson for Rexall said the company expects a shipment of generic semaglutide by the end of the week [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

A Shoppers Drug Mart spokesperson said inventory is beginning to arrive at distribution centres and select locations, with availability expected to expand across Canada through the end of the week and into next [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Vital, Canada's pharmaceutical supply chain alliance, confirmed that generic semaglutide products are on their way to pharmacies but are going through distributors first [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

Patient impact

The BBC profiled Elizabeth Doran, a retired 69-year-old in Ottawa who was paying between C$350 and C$500 out of pocket each month for Wegovy [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Doran told the BBC she had already noticed the price of Wegovy drop since the generics were approved [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Eli Lilly's tirzepatide products, Mounjaro and Zepbound, remain under patent protection in Canada with no imminent expiry [Source: endorhealth.com/article/generic-ozempic-coming-to-canada].

Readers can monitor approvals on our generic semaglutide tracker and review plan rules with our insurance coverage checker.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.