TrumpRx US GLP-1 Deal: Limited Spillover for Canadian Prices

A new US deal unveiled by the Trump administration to expand Medicare coverage of GLP-1 medications and launch direct-to-consumer sales through TrumpRx starting in January is unlikely to reshape Canadian pricing, with domestic prices already lower and generic semaglutide competition already underway [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/ozempic-trumprx-cheaper-insurance-9.6970197].

What the US deal contains

The agreement with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk is set to expand US Medicare coverage of Zepbound and Wegovy starting next year, with qualifying patients paying a US$50 copay [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/ozempic-trumprx-cheaper-insurance-9.6970197]. For Americans without coverage, the administration's TrumpRx program will allow direct-from-manufacturer purchases starting in January, with an average starting price of around US$350 that is projected to drop to US$245 over the next two years, according to administration officials [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/ozempic-trumprx-cheaper-insurance-9.6970197].

Canadian prices already lower

Dr. Nisha Gupta, an endocrinologist and postdoctoral fellow at McGill University, told CBC News that with exchange rates factored in, Canadian GLP-1 prices are already "significantly less" than the announced TrumpRx figures [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/ozempic-trumprx-cheaper-insurance-9.6970197]. CBC reported Canadians currently pay anywhere from $300 to $500 per month for GLP-1 medications, including semaglutide brands such as Ozempic and Wegovy [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/ozempic-trumprx-cheaper-insurance-9.6970197].

Current Canadian pharmacy pricing tracked on GLP1Prices.ca shows a wider spread: Ozempic ranges from $88 to $663 CAD and Wegovy from $113 to $550 CAD, reflecting both brand and newly launched generic semaglutide options at the low end of the range.

Generic semaglutide is the bigger Canadian story

Mina Tadrous, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who evaluates pharmaceutical prices, has estimated that generic competition could bring the price down to under $100 from $400 for the same strength of semaglutide product [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/ozempic-trumprx-cheaper-insurance-9.6970197]. Canada became only the second country in the world, and the first in the G7, to approve a generic version of semaglutide, after India in March 2026 [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166].

Two generic versions of the injectable form of semaglutide have been approved by Health Canada in recent weeks, from India's Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and the Canadian company Apotex, with seven other applications still under review [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166]. The Dr. Reddy's generic became available in Canada on May 15 [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166]. Track approval status on our generic semaglutide tracker.

How the pricing framework works

Tadrous has described the Canadian generic-entry price ladder in earlier interviews, noting that with only one generic the price falls to 75 per cent of the list, with two it goes to 50 per cent, and with three it hits 25 per cent [Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/en/news/2179475/ozempic-generic-canada-weight-loss]. He told The BMJ that once three generics are on the market, out-of-pocket costs should drop to around 35 per cent of the brand-name price, bringing them to around C$100 per month [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166].

Brand response and market dynamics

Novo Nordisk is offering brand-name discount cards to cover the cost difference and is running an advertising campaign in Canada that encourages patients to ask for brand-name Ozempic [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166]. Tadrous told The BMJ he expects Novo Nordisk will be able to maintain market share more than is usually seen when generic versions become available [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166].

Eli Lilly's tirzepatide products, Mounjaro and Zepbound, are growing fast in market share and are projected to overtake semaglutide as the leading GLP-1 drug within the next few years, though semaglutide still holds the largest overall proportion at the time of writing [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166]. The oral semaglutide product Rybelsus remains a separate Novo Nordisk offering.

Coverage still fragmented

Gupta noted that Wegovy is not covered by provincial governments in Canada but may be covered by private insurance plans, depending on the insurer's criteria [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/ozempic-trumprx-cheaper-insurance-9.6970197]. Patients can review options via our insurance coverage checker or consult the FAQ for further background.

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