Is there a generic Ozempic in Canada?
Yes. Canada approved the first generic of Ozempic (semaglutide) on 28 April 2026, for adults with type 2 diabetes. As of 12 October 2026, Health Canada's database lists generics from Dr. Reddy's and Apotex on sale, with Aspen and Sandoz approved but not yet sold. Some generic lots were recalled in August 2026.
- Every GLP‑1 medicine is a prescription drug in Canada. A doctor, nurse practitioner or other authorized prescriber must assess you first.1
- Prices here are official list or formulary prices, with the date we checked them. We never quote a pharmacy's, clinic's or savings card's price, and we don't name or rank sellers.
- Canadian law bans advertising a drug to the public as a treatment for obesity or diabetes. This page is information, not an ad, and nothing here is for sale. The risks are in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.
Which generic semaglutide brands are approved?
Health Canada's Drug Product Database listed six generic semaglutide products on 12 October 2026; two were on sale.1
| Product (maker) | Copy of | Status on 12 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Apo-Semaglutide (Apotex) | Ozempic | On sale since 14 May 2026 |
| Aspen-Semaglutide; Semaglutide Injection (Aspen) | Ozempic | Approved Jul and Aug 2026, not on sale |
| Semaglutide Injection (Dr. Reddy's) | Ozempic | On sale since 6 May 2026 |
| Sandoz Semaglutide (Sandoz) | Ozempic | Approved 16 Sep 2026, not on sale |
| Sevmia (Apotex) | Wegovy | Approved 29 Jun 2026, not on sale |
Alphabetical by product, not a ranking. Source: Drug Product Database, searched 12 Oct 2026.1
The Ozempic generics are approved for type 2 diabetes, like Ozempic.2,3 Sevmia copies Wegovy instead; see What is Sevmia?
Why did generics come to Canada first?
Semaglutide's data protection in Canada ended on 4 January 2026, and Health Canada called Canada "the first G7 country" to approve a generic.4,2
Health Canada says the generics are "pharmaceutically equivalent to the brand name biologic drug", and that its review checks that any differences don't affect safety, efficacy or quality.2 It reviewed the first one within its 180-day target, and said it was reviewing eight more submissions. It added that "many generic medication are 45 to 90% cheaper" than brands.2 Novo Nordisk has also registered two more semaglutide brands of its own, Plosbrio and Poviztra; both were approved but not on sale on 12 October 2026.1 How a generic compares in practice is in Is Apo-Semaglutide the same as Ozempic?
Can you get it at the pharmacy now?
Usually, but supply has varied: generics reached pharmacies in May 2026, then Dr. Reddy's reported a shortage on 10 July 2026.5,6
Ontario and Alberta list generic semaglutide as interchangeable with Ozempic, so a pharmacist may substitute it.7,6 In August 2026, some Dr. Reddy's lots and one Apo-Semaglutide lot were recalled; check your lot in Was my Dr. Reddy's semaglutide pen recalled? Ontario lists generic pens at $78.14, against $227.94 for Ozempic.7 Who pays is in Guide 6.
- Stomach effects are very common. In the diabetes trials on the Canadian Ozempic monograph, 17 in 100 people on 0.5 mg and 20 in 100 on 1 mg felt sick (nausea), against 6 in 100 on comparison treatments.8
- Low blood sugar can happen when semaglutide is taken with a sulfonylurea, such as gliclazide, or with insulin.8
- Diabetic eye disease. In one trial, eye complications of diabetes occurred in 3.0 in 100 people on Ozempic and 1.8 in 100 on placebo.8
- Who shouldn't take it. Not for anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2. Stop it at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.8
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- Health Canada. Drug Product Database: product records and marketing status for semaglutide and tirzepatide products (for example Ozempic DIN 02471469 "Marketed"; Sevmia DIN 02569582 "Approved", not marketed; Zepbound first marketed 9 July 2025). Searched 12 Oct 2026. health-products.canada.ca
- Health Canada. Canada becomes the first G7 country to approve a generic version of semaglutide. News release, 28 Apr 2026 (Dr. Reddy's, "a generic version of the brand name drug Ozempic", for adults with type 2 diabetes; generics are "pharmaceutically equivalent to the brand name biologic drug"; "many generic medication are 45 to 90% cheaper"). canada.ca
- Health Canada. Canada approves second generic semaglutide, the first G7 country to do so. News release, 1 May 2026 (Apotex; "a generic version of the brand name drug Ozempic"). canada.ca
- Health Canada. Register of Innovative Drugs, 24 Jan 2025 edition (semaglutide, Ozempic, Novo Nordisk Canada; notice of compliance 4 Jan 2018; data protection ends 4 Jan 2026). canada.ca (PDF)
- Global News / The Canadian Press. Generic semaglutide to hit Canadian pharmacies this week at lower cost, 20 May 2026 (Apotex: "approximately one-third the price" of Ozempic; Ozempic and Wegovy "hundreds of dollars a month… in some cases more than $450"; "availability may vary across regions"; pharmacists may substitute "in accordance with existing provincial substitution rules"). globalnews.ca
- Alberta Blue Cross. Pharmacy Benefact 1330, July 2026 (generic semaglutide added to the Alberta Drug Benefit List from 1 Jul 2026, "interchangeable (IC) with Ozempic"; "As of July 10, 2026, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. reported a shortage of its generic semaglutide products resulting from a manufacturing disruption"). ab.bluecross.ca (PDF)
- Ontario Ministry of Health. Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary: semaglutide pens (Ozempic $227.94 a pen with the plan paying $78.141; generic semaglutide $78.141 a pen, interchangeable, Limited Use; Sevmia $325.048 a pen, off-formulary interchangeable); tirzepatide not listed. Checked 12 Oct 2026. formulary.health.gov.on.ca
- Novo Nordisk Canada. Ozempic (semaglutide injection) Product Monograph, 13 Jul 2026 (made "by recombinant DNA technology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae"; storage: before first use 2–8 °C, after first use 8 weeks below 30 °C or refrigerated, "Do not freeze… do not use… if it has been frozen", keep the cap on; adverse reactions Table 2: nausea 17.0% on 0.5 mg and 19.9% on 1 mg vs 6.3% on comparator; low blood sugar with a sulfonylurea or insulin; retinopathy complications 3.0% vs 1.8%; stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy; disposal and Canada Vigilance wording). pdf.hres.ca (PDF)
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error
How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 12 Oct 2026. Prices are official list or formulary prices, never a seller's, savings-card or coupon price, and we don't name or rank sellers. Availability, coverage and recall facts are dated because they change. Figures marked as our arithmetic are worked out from those sources. It's general information, not medical advice, and not an advertisement for any medicine. Talk to a doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write