Where Generic Semaglutide Is Made: Apotex, Dr. Reddy's Detail Sites

Both companies cleared to ship generic semaglutide in Canada are manufacturing the injectable product outside the country, with Apotex confirming its pens will be produced in India by a partner with sterile injectable capacity and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories listing facilities in India, the United Kingdom and Mexico [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/generic-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-9.7204671].

Where the molecules are actually being made

Although Apotex is headquartered in Canada and operates five facilities in the country, a company spokesperson told CBC News that because its semaglutide injectors "require a sterile injectable facility," they will be manufactured in India by one of Apotex's partners [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/generic-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-9.7204671]. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, the first company to receive Health Canada authorization for a generic version of Ozempic, operates manufacturing facilities in India, the United Kingdom and Mexico [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/generic-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-9.7204671].

Mina Tadrous, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who researches drug policy, told CBC News that Health Canada conducts site visits as part of its review of generic submissions and "reviews that process to ensure it's aligned with good manufacturing practices" [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/generic-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-9.7204671].

Two manufacturing approaches for the same molecule

Brian Rodrigues, a professor in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of British Columbia, told CBC News that the brand-name and generic products use the same active ingredient but are built differently [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/generic-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-9.7204671]. He described the original process as taking a GLP-1 gene, inserting it into yeast that reproduces to make the protein in "excess amounts," then isolating, purifying and chemically modifying the molecule [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/generic-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-9.7204671].

By contrast, Rodrigues said the generic approach uses a streamlined chemical process: "What happens with the generics, all they do is they take these amino acids and they physically build [them] up like a Lego set, so it's the same molecule eventually, but it's just made differently" [Source: cbc.ca/news/health/generic-semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-9.7204671].

Regulatory baseline

Health Canada authorized the first generic semaglutide injection on April 28, 2026, calling it the first such authorization in the G7 [Source: canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/04/canada-becomes-the-first-g7-country-to-approve-a-generic-version-of-semaglutide.html]. The department said the synthetic generic products are "pharmaceutically equivalent to the brand name biologic drug" and that its review "ensures that differences between these products do not affect the safety, efficacy, or quality of the drug" [Source: canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/04/canada-becomes-the-first-g7-country-to-approve-a-generic-version-of-semaglutide.html]. Health Canada said it is reviewing eight other generic semaglutide submissions and expects more decisions "in the coming weeks and months" [Source: canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/04/canada-becomes-the-first-g7-country-to-approve-a-generic-version-of-semaglutide.html].

Supply chain and distribution

Apotex said it began shipping its generic semaglutide on Tuesday, and Dr. Reddy's said its product had already arrived in "select" Canadian pharmacies with wider availability "in the coming days," according to Global News [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. A Rexall spokesperson said the chain expects a shipment by the end of the week, while Shoppers Drug Mart said inventory "is beginning to arrive at our distribution centres and select Shoppers Drug Mart locations" with availability expanding into the following week [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

Vital, Canada's pharmaceutical supply chain alliance, said products are moving through distributors first and that "availability may vary across regions as products move through the supply chain to Canada's more than 10,000 pharmacies" [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

What this means for patients

Apotex said its generic semaglutide will be approximately one-third the price of Novo Nordisk's brand-name Ozempic, while Dr. Reddy's described its pricing only as "competitive" [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Canadians comparing options can review prices for Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro and Zepbound, and follow incoming generic listings on our generic semaglutide tracker and insurance coverage checker.

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