Hims & Hers, Phoenix, Raven and MedExpress all launch generic semaglutide this week
Canadians can now access generic semaglutide through their phones as the price war begins.
Phoenix, Raven, MedExpress Canada, and Hims & Hers Health all announced the launch of generic semaglutide through their respective telehealth platforms this week, with pricing starting at $124.99 a month.
Hims & Hers is offering personalised treatment plans starting at $149 a month.
The launches follow Health Canada's approval of generic semaglutide from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Apotex Inc. in late April and early May.
The Hims & Hers generic is supplied by Apotex, Reuters reported, while Phoenix and Raven said their supply is sourced and distributed domestically.
The new pricing undercuts brand-name Ozempic, which runs between $200 and $400 a month depending on dosage, region, and insurance, according to Reuters.
Mina Tadrous, a University of Toronto drug policy researcher, told CBC News prices could fall to around 35 percent of the brand price once three or more generics enter the market.
"For some patients, the cost of the drug before dispensing fees and markup could be around $100 a month," she said.
Brian Rodrigues, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of British Columbia, told CBC News the arrival of generics is "a big game changer."
Research links semaglutide to reduced inflammation, improved arthritis outcomes, and lower risk of cardiac events, stroke, and early death, he said, with benefits well beyond weight loss.
Both brand-name and generic versions use the same active ingredient in a once-weekly injection, though they are produced differently.
Health Canada told CBC News it authorised the generics "after a thorough review of evidence" confirming they meet the regulator's standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality.
Common side effects — nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation — and rarer complications such as pancreatitis remain the same as the brand-name version, Rodrigues told the same outlet.
Generic semaglutide is authorised by Health Canada for the management of type 2 diabetes, though it may be prescribed off-label for weight management at a licensed provider's clinical discretion.
Health Canada said it is still reviewing additional generic submissions, with several pending approval on its website.
Hims & Hers Canada chief medical officer Sandy Van said more affordable GLP-1 options make the market "more dynamic" and push prices down across the board, benefiting patients regardless of where they seek care.
