Ozempic Tops Canadian Public Drug Spending at $807M: CIHI

Ozempic has become the single largest medication driving up public prescription medication spending in Canada, accounting for $807 million of the total $20.1 billion spent on public drug systems, according to data released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information in March [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/].

A single drug reshapes public drug budgets

The CIHI figures highlight how rapidly Ozempic has come to dominate Canadian public drug spending. Public drug plans across Canada generally fund Ozempic only for patients with a diabetes diagnosis, the Health Canada-approved condition for which Ozempic is prescribed [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/].

Patients without coverage face significant out-of-pocket costs. According to The Canadian Press, the medication often costs a few hundred dollars a month [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/]. Pharmacy listings tracked on GLP1Prices.ca currently show Ozempic ranging from approximately $222 to $663 in CAD across Canadian pharmacies.

Generics could reset the pricing landscape

Mina Tadrous, a pharmaceutical policy expert at the University of Toronto, told The Canadian Press that under the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance pricing structure, the first generic medication could cost 75 to 85 per cent of the brand name price [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/].

Tadrous added that once a second product enters the market, the price for both drops to 50 per cent, and when three or more generic products are available in Canada, the cost would decrease to about 35 per cent of brand-name Ozempic's price [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/].

Nine applications, no approvals yet

According to The Globe and Mail, there are currently nine applications to make generic semaglutide sitting with Health Canada, some filed as early as February of 2024 [Source: theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-apotex-fda-approval-generic-ozempic-drug-health-canada-decisions]. Three of those applications are from Apotex, filed in January, April and November of 2025 [Source: theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-apotex-fda-approval-generic-ozempic-drug-health-canada-decisions].

Health Canada spokesperson Marie-Pier Burelle said the agency is on track to meet review targets for generic semaglutide drug submissions, noting that the initial review timeline is about six months [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/]. However, that does not include the time needed for companies to address Health Canada requests for additional data [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/].

Burelle described generic semaglutide submissions as complex, explaining that the original drug is a biologic produced using biological processes, while generic semaglutide products are complex synthetic products that are pharmaceutically equivalent to the brand name drug, but with possible differences that could impact safety and efficacy [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/].

Apotex secures U.S. tentative nod

Apotex Inc. has won tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a generic form of Ozempic six years before the patent expires there, while no generic versions have been approved in Canada since they became legal three months ago [Source: theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-apotex-fda-approval-generic-ozempic-drug-health-canada-decisions]. The injectable version of semaglutide was developed with Indian pharmaceutical company Orbicular Pharmaceutical Technologies [Source: theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-apotex-fda-approval-generic-ozempic-drug-health-canada-decisions].

The main U.S. patent on Ozempic, held by Novo Nordisk, expires in 2032 [Source: theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-apotex-fda-approval-generic-ozempic-drug-health-canada-decisions]. Novo Nordisk reported 2025 sales of 309-billion Danish krone, or about $67-billion, with more than half coming from Ozempic and Wegovy sales in the United States [Source: theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-apotex-fda-approval-generic-ozempic-drug-health-canada-decisions].

What patients can do now

Until generic approvals arrive, Canadians can monitor pricing across pharmacies and review their plan options through tools like the insurance coverage checker and the generic semaglutide tracker. Health Canada is reviewing nine generic semaglutide submissions from manufacturers including Sandoz, Apotex, and Teva [Source: glp1prices.ca/generic-alert].

• Public drug spending: $20.1 billion total, with Ozempic at $807 million [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/]
• Generic applications pending: nine [Source: theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-apotex-fda-approval-generic-ozempic-drug-health-canada-decisions]
• Health Canada initial review target: about six months [Source: cp24.com/news/canada/2026/04/07/these-patients-without-drug-coverage-are-eagerly-awaiting-generic-ozempic-in-canada/]

For details on other GLP-1 products available in Canada, including Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Rybelsus, see our FAQ.

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