The cheapest versions of medications to treat obesity, such as Ozempic and Wogovy, could be on the market in Canada as soon as January.
Ozempic is a favorite of social networks, with celebrities singing their praises and people publishing on great weight loss. But a patient can pay $ 400 a month for such medicines, says Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, scientific director of Obesity Canada and professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
He says his patients have been frustrated and disappointed by the “prohibitive” cost.
But now, several companies say they intend to market cheaper versions of such drugs. This is what medical experts say:
What are these medications?
Injectable prescription medications, sold such as Ozempic and Wogovy, and Rybelsus pill contains the semagglutide of the ingredient. This kind of medications, known as peptide-1 glucagon agonists (LPG-1), regulate blood sugar and appetite levels.
Health Canada previously approved Ozempic to treat diabetes and weeping to lose weight. According to a recent study, almost 33 percent of Canadians (10.6 million people) were obese in 2023.
How much could the price lower?
Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of brands, will effectively lose its exclusivity of the market in those drugs in Canada in January, opening the door to generic versions.
Mina Tadrous, an associated professor who evaluates pharmaceutical prices at the University of Toronto, says that three or four companies have them in development or are starting the paperwork.
Tadrous says that the number of companies affects prices.
“The classic frame is that if it only has one, it is reduced from the list price to 75 percent,” Tadrous said. “If we have two, it is reduced to 50 percent and drops to 35 percent if it has three or more.”
Three injectable manufacturers It could reduce the price to less than $ 100 from $ 400 for the same strength of the semaglutidal product, Tadro estimates.
Have generic medications been approved?
Not yet. Health Canada must consider the application of each company to make and sell generic versions of the injectable drug, known as biosimilar.
Since they will not require new clinical trials, they could be available a few weeks after the approval of Health Canada, “grandfather”, according to original trials, says Sockalingam.
“It really is the equivalence of the medication in terms of its availability in the body and its metabolism.”
Will insurance cover them?
Semaglutide is already listed in the Ontario drug form, a list of publicly covered medications for those over 65, people living in long -term care homes and for people who receive ontarium work or disability payments.
That means that as soon as there is a available generic form, those in drug insurance plans could change to it, and private insurance plans such as those offered by employers probably do the same, says Tadrous.
Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, a professor of Medicine at the University of McGill and researcher, says that this would be good news for people who have excess weight and resulting complications, but currently they cannot pay brand medications.
The generic versions “will open the door for many more people,” said Dasgupta.
What implies taking these medications?
Dasgupta says that it is important that people who take a semaglutida are prescribed by a doctor and then supervise him.
“We should insist on having a good public access diet and physical support because we live in a society where people are winning more and more weight,” said Dasgupta.
In England, for example, it is recommended with at least 13 hours of advice on diet and physical activity.
What about drug scarcity?
Because some medications also treat type 2 diabetes, doctors and health policies continue to observe supply chains to prevent shortage.
Dr. Harpreet Bajaj, endocrinologist at LMC Healthcare in Brampton, Ontario, recalls many times when diabetes had to leave Ozempic medications or other GLP-1 medications because none was available.
“Having a biosimilar, which is made by a completely new pharmaceutical company and perhaps … made in a more profitable way would also relieve some pressures on any future shortage we hope,” Bajaj said.
Dasgupta, who also treats diabetes, said in his experience in Quebec, sometimes the medicine is more accessible through the public financing plan for those who meet the medical criteria that through some private insurers that focus more on the cost.
