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Wegovy vs Ozempic in Canada: what’s the difference?

The same medicine at different doses: what each brand is approved for in Canada, why the dose matters, and what each costs and who covers it.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 14 Oct 20268 min read18 sourcesWritten from published sources
What we checked18 sources, each one opened and linked to the sentence it supportsLast checked 14 Oct 2026 · Next review due 14 Apr 2027 · How we write

Written for Canada, from Canadian sources.

The short answer

Wegovy and Ozempic are both semaglutide, a weekly injection from Novo Nordisk. In Canada, Wegovy is approved for weight management at up to 2.4 mg; Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes at up to 2 mg. Ozempic is covered by public plans with criteria; no public plan covers Wegovy.

At a glance

WegovyOzempic
Medicine and makerSemaglutide, Novo Nordisk1Semaglutide, Novo Nordisk2
Approved in Canada forWeight management in adults (BMI 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition) and teens 12 and over; lowering heart-attack risk with heart disease and BMI 27 or more; a liver disease, MASH (conditional)1Type 2 diabetes in adults, including lowering heart and kidney risks in some people with type 2 diabetes2
How it’s takenInjection under the skin once a week; a 4-dose FlexTouch pen, or a single-use pen1,3Injection under the skin once a week, from a multi-dose pen2
Dose steps0.25 mg, then up every 4 weeks (0.5, 1, 1.7 mg) to 2.4 mg from week 1710.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg; 1 mg and then 2 mg if needed2
Weight change in the main trialSTEP 1, 68 weeks, no diabetes: −14.9% on 2.4 mg vs −2.4% on a dummy injection144 in 100 felt sick, against 16 in 100 (STEP 1–3)SUSTAIN 9, 30 weeks, type 2 diabetes: −4.1 kg on 1 mg vs −1.0 kg on a dummy injection220 in 100 felt sick on 1 mg, against 6 in 100 on comparisons
Most common side effectsNausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and stomach pain: very common, more than 1 in 10 (EU Wegovy label)4Nausea and diarrhea: very common, more than 1 in 10 (EU Ozempic label)5
Official price$388.64 a pen at every dose (maker’s price submitted to Canada’s Drug Agency): about $421 a month, $5,052 a year3$227.94 a pen (Ontario formulary): about $247 a month, $2,963 a year at 0.5 or 1 mg6
Coverage in CanadaNo public plan; Novo Nordisk stopped seeking public coverage in December 2025. Private plans set their own rules7Public plans cover it for type 2 diabetes with criteria (Ontario, BC, Quebec, First Nations and Inuit)8,9,10

Side by side, not ranked. The trials were separate, in different people, so their numbers can’t be compared directly. Prices: one pen holds 4 weekly doses; a year is 52 doses (13 pens); a month is a twelfth of a year; our arithmetic. Pharmacies add their own markup and fees. Checked 14 Oct 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Wegovy and Ozempic both contain semaglutide from Novo Nordisk; Wegovy is approved in Canada for weight management and Ozempic for type 2 diabetes.1,2
  • Wegovy goes up to 2.4 mg a week and Ozempic to 2 mg; in STEP 2, stomach side effects affected 64 in 100 people on 2.4 mg, 58 in 100 on 1 mg and 34 in 100 on a dummy injection.1,2,11
  • In STEP 1, people without diabetes on Wegovy 2.4 mg lost 14.9% of their weight over 68 weeks, against 2.4% on a dummy injection; 44 in 100 felt sick, against 16 in 100.1
  • A Wegovy pen costs $388.64 at every dose and an Ozempic pen $227.94, each holding 4 weekly doses.3,6
  • Public plans cover Ozempic for type 2 diabetes with criteria, but no province covers Wegovy; BC listed it as a non-benefit in December 2025.8,7
Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines are prescription drugs in Canada. Nothing here is a reason to start, stop or switch one.12
  • We name brands and official prices as facts. We don’t recommend, rank or link to any brand, pharmacy, clinic or program.
  • Canadian law bans advertising any drug to the general public as a treatment, preventative or cure for obesity or diabetes.13 This page is information, not an ad, and nothing here is for sale.
  • Trial results are averages. Some people lose much less, and every benefit comes with risks: see our side effects guide.
On this page
  1. Are Wegovy and Ozempic the same medicine?
  2. Why does the dose matter?
  3. What did the main trials show?
  4. How much do they cost, and who covers them?
  5. Can Ozempic be prescribed for weight loss?
  6. Which one? What does a doctor weigh?
  7. Questions people ask
  8. How we researched this
  9. Sources

Are Wegovy and Ozempic the same medicine?

Yes, both are semaglutide. The brands differ in their approved uses, their top dose and their pens.1,2

The medicine is what works in your body; the brand is the name on the box. Semaglutide copies a gut hormone, GLP‑1, that helps release insulin after a meal and is involved in appetite.2,1 Rybelsus is semaglutide too, as a daily tablet for type 2 diabetes.14

The Wegovy pens each deliver one fixed strength, from 0.25 to 2.4 mg.1 Ozempic pens give 0.25 and 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg.2 Generic semaglutide in Canada copies Ozempic; Sevmia, the one generic of Wegovy, was approved in June 2026 as a 1 mg pen only, and was not yet sold on 14 October 2026.15,12

Why does the dose matter?

Higher doses tend to bring more weight loss and more stomach side effects. STEP 2 tested both doses in the same trial, in people with type 2 diabetes.11

STEP 2 gave 1,210 adults with type 2 diabetes semaglutide 2.4 mg, 1.0 mg or a dummy injection for 68 weeks. On 2.4 mg, weight fell 9.6%, against 3.4% on the dummy injection.11

  • 2.4 mg (Wegovy’s dose): stomach side effects in 64 in 100 people.11
  • 1.0 mg (an Ozempic dose): 58 in 100.11
  • Dummy injection: 34 in 100.11

Novo Nordisk, the maker, funded the trial.11

What did the main trials show?

In STEP 1, adults without diabetes on Wegovy 2.4 mg lost 14.9% of their weight over 68 weeks, against 2.4% on a dummy injection.1,16

For someone starting at 90 kg (198 lb), 14.9% is about 13 kg (30 lb). That is an average: 86 in 100 lost at least 5%, against 32 in 100 on the dummy injection. Put the other way, about 14 in 100 on Wegovy lost less than 5%.16

Ozempic’s trials were in type 2 diabetes and aimed at blood sugar. In SUSTAIN 9, people on 1 mg lost 4.1 kg over 30 weeks, against 1.0 kg on a dummy injection.2 These were separate trials in different people, so the numbers can’t be compared directly.

RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects are very common (more than 1 in 10 people) on the EU Wegovy and Ozempic labels, mostly while the dose goes up. In Canada’s Wegovy monograph, 44 in 100 people on 2.4 mg felt sick (nausea), against 16 in 100 on a dummy injection.4,5,1
  • Gallstones are common (up to 1 in 10 people) on both EU labels; pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas) is uncommon (up to 1 in 100).4,5
  • Low blood sugar is more likely if you also take insulin or a sulfonylurea, such as gliclazide.2,1
  • Thyroid and pregnancy. Neither is for anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2. Both monographs say to stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.1,2
Full detail in our side effects guide →
Get help now: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for severe stomach pain that won’t go away, with or without vomiting. It can be pancreatitis. Not sure? Call 811 to speak to a nurse in most provinces (Info-Santé 811 in Quebec).17

How much do they cost, and who covers them?

Canada’s Drug Agency used $388.64 for a Wegovy pen at every dose. Ontario lists Ozempic at $227.94 a pen. Each pen holds 4 weekly doses.3,6

Over a year of 13 pens, that is about $5,052 for Wegovy and $2,963 for Ozempic by our arithmetic.3,6 Generic semaglutide, a generic of Ozempic, is listed at $78.14 a pen.6

Wegovy: no province covers it. BC listed it as a non-benefit on 18 December 2025, after Novo Nordisk told the national price-negotiating body it “would no longer be seeking public coverage of Wegovy in Canada”.7 Ozempic: covered for type 2 diabetes with criteria in Ontario, BC and Quebec, and for First Nations and Inuit.8,9,10 Private plans set their own rules: see private insurance and GLP‑1s.

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Can Ozempic be prescribed for weight loss?

A prescriber can, but it is off-label: outside the use Health Canada approved. Canada’s obesity guideline is cautious about off-label use for weight.2,18

The guideline says it discourages using medicines “solely for obesity management if they lack regulatory approval for this indication or evidence-based recommendations for their use”.18 For semaglutide, Wegovy is the brand with that approval in Canada.1 Public plans cover Ozempic only for type 2 diabetes.8,9

Which one? What does a doctor weigh?

We don’t recommend either. These are the points a doctor and patient usually talk through, from the Canadian labels and plans.

  • The diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes points to Ozempic’s approved use; weight management points to Wegovy’s.2,1
  • Heart disease. Wegovy is approved to lower the risk of a non-fatal heart attack in adults with heart disease and a BMI of 27 or more.1
  • Coverage. What your public or private plan pays for often decides the cost.8,7
  • The dose you tolerate. More stomach effects came with the higher dose in STEP 2.11
  • Pregnancy plans. Both say to stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.1,2

Our guide on whether to consider a GLP‑1 covers the BMI thresholds and what comes first.

Questions people ask

Is Wegovy the same as Ozempic?

Same medicine, semaglutide, from the same maker. Wegovy is approved in Canada for weight management at up to 2.4 mg a week; Ozempic for type 2 diabetes at up to 2 mg.1,2

How do Wegovy and Ozempic prices compare in Canada?

Per pen, Canada’s Drug Agency used $388.64 for Wegovy at any dose, and Ontario lists Ozempic at $227.94. Each pen holds 4 weekly doses.3,6

Can I switch from Ozempic to Wegovy?

Only your prescriber can decide that. Wegovy’s Canadian monograph sets a starting dose of 0.25 mg, raised every 4 weeks; we found no Canadian conversion table.1

Is there a generic Wegovy in Canada?

Sevmia, a generic of Wegovy, was approved in June 2026 as a 1 mg pen. It was not yet sold on 14 October 2026.12

Does any province cover Wegovy?

No. BC listed Wegovy as a non-benefit in December 2025, after Novo Nordisk stopped seeking public coverage.7

How we researched this

We compared the Canadian product monographs for Wegovy (2 October 2026) and Ozempic (13 July 2026), the STEP 1 and STEP 2 trial papers, the EU package leaflets for frequency bands, and Health Canada’s Drug Product Database on 14 October 2026.

Prices are Canada’s Drug Agency’s figure for Wegovy and Ontario’s formulary for Ozempic, checked 14 October 2026. Coverage is from provincial plan pages and decisions.

Before you move on

  • Check which brand is on your prescription, and what it’s approved for.
  • Ask whether your use is on-label or off-label.
  • Ask your plan what it covers, and on what criteria.
  • Never use two GLP‑1 medicines together.
  • Know the warning signs in the risks box.
Cost calculatorCould it be an option?Side effects and risks

More from the Canada blog

CACanadaHow much do Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound cost in Canada?CACanadaWhy doesn’t any province cover Wegovy or Zepbound for weight loss?CACanadaWhat is Sevmia, the generic Wegovy, and when will it be available?
About GLP Guidebook

The monthly Canada update

An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don’t sell medicines, take drug-company money, earn commissions or link to any provider. Once a month: Health Canada approvals, recalls, provincial coverage changes and official prices. How we write

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Sources

  1. Novo Nordisk Canada. Wegovy (semaglutide injection) Product Monograph, 2 October 2026 (indications; dose escalation 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7 mg every 4 weeks to 2.4 mg; reassess after 12 weeks on the maintenance dose; STEP 1–3 results; Table 4: nausea 44% vs 16% on placebo; perioperative aspiration warning). PDF
  2. Novo Nordisk Canada. Ozempic (semaglutide injection) Product Monograph, 13 July 2026 (type 2 diabetes indications, including reducing the risk of major heart and blood-vessel events in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart or chronic kidney disease, and of kidney decline in type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease; GLP‑1 receptor agonist; 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg, then 1 mg and 2 mg if needed, maximum 2 mg; SUSTAIN 2 and SUSTAIN 9 results; Table 2 adverse reactions: nausea 17.0% on 0.5 mg and 19.9% on 1 mg vs 6.3% on comparators; once weekly “at any time of the day, with or without meals”; missed dose within 5 days; stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy; perioperative aspiration warning). PDF
  3. Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC). Semaglutide (Wegovy) SR0841, pharmacoeconomic review: submitted price “$388.64 per multiuse, prefilled, single-dose pen, regardless of strength … each pen contains 4 doses”; annual cost of Wegovy $5,066, of Ozempic for type 2 diabetes $2,844 to $5,688. 2025. Link
  4. European Medicines Agency. Wegovy: EPAR product information (package leaflet section 4: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and stomach pain “very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)”; gallstones “common”; acute pancreatitis “uncommon”). PDF
  5. European Medicines Agency. Ozempic: EPAR product information (package leaflet section 4: nausea and diarrhea “very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)”; vomiting and gallstones “common”; acute pancreatitis “uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)”). PDF
  6. Ontario Ministry of Health. Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary search (Ozempic $227.94 a pen, with the plan paying $78.141; Apo-Semaglutide and Dr. Reddy’s semaglutide $78.141 a pen; Sevmia $325.048 a pen and Wegovy with no price, both “Off-Formulary Interchangeable”; Rybelsus $7.5303 a tablet at every strength; no tirzepatide). Checked 14 October 2026. Link
  7. BC PharmaCare. Drug coverage decision: semaglutide (Wegovy), “Non-benefit”, 18 December 2025 (the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance concluded negotiations without agreement on 1 December 2025; Novo Nordisk “would no longer be seeking public coverage of Wegovy in Canada”). PDF
  8. Ontario Ministry of Health. Executive Officer Notice, 26 January 2024: semaglutide (Ozempic) Limited Use for adults with type 2 diabetes when blood sugar isn’t controlled on the maximum tolerated dose of metformin, or metformin can’t be used. PDF
  9. BC PharmaCare. Limited coverage drugs: semaglutide (Special Authority for type 2 diabetes after inadequate control on maximum tolerated metformin; coverage up to 1 mg weekly; 2 mg under review). Checked 14 October 2026. Link
  10. Diabète Québec. Table of diabetes medications and their coverage, March 2026 (RAMQ: Ozempic an exception drug “in association with MET, where a SU is contraindicated, not tolerated or ineffective”; Mounjaro private insurance only; NIHB: Ozempic and Rybelsus Limited Use). A secondary source: we could not reach the RAMQ list itself. PDF
  11. Davies M, Færch L, Jeppesen OK, et al. Semaglutide 2.4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2). Lancet 2021;397:971–984. 1,210 adults randomised to 2.4 mg, 1.0 mg or placebo for 68 weeks; gastrointestinal adverse events in 63.5%, 57.5% and 34.3%; funded by Novo Nordisk. PMID 33667417. PubMed
  12. Health Canada. Drug Product Database: product records, schedule, route and status for every semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide and dulaglutide product (all on the “Prescription” schedule; all subcutaneous injections or oral tablets; for example Sevmia “Approved”, not marketed; first generic semaglutide marketed 6 May 2026). Searched 14 October 2026. Link
  13. Food and Drugs Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-27), section 3(1): “No person shall advertise any food, drug, cosmetic or device to the general public as a treatment, preventative or cure for any of the diseases … referred to in Schedule A.1”; Schedule A.1 lists diabetes and obesity. Justice Laws Website. Checked 14 October 2026. Link
  14. Novo Nordisk Canada. Rybelsus (semaglutide tablets) Product Monograph, 13 July 2026 (type 2 diabetes; 3 mg for 30 days, then 7 mg, then 14 mg if needed, or 1.5, 4 and 9 mg in the newer tablets; empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before food, with no more than 120 mL of water; PIONEER 1 results; Table 3: nausea 11.0% on 7 mg and 19.7% on 14 mg vs 6.4% on placebo; diabetic retinopathy events 4.2% vs 3.8% in pooled trials, and temporary worsening with rapid improvement in glucose; about 1–2% absolute bioavailability; SNAC absorption enhancer; missed dose skipped; aspiration warning). PDF
  15. Apotex Inc. Sevmia (semaglutide injection) Product Monograph, date of authorization 29 June 2026 (“Multi-use pre-filled pen delivering doses of 1 mg”, 4 mg per pen; “SEVMIA can be prescribed only for 1 mg once weekly dosing. Alternative products are needed to achieve doses … exclusive of the 1 mg dose”). PDF
  16. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med 2021;384:989–1002. 1,961 adults, 68 weeks; −14.9% vs −2.4%; 86.4% vs 31.5% lost at least 5%; funded by Novo Nordisk. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2032183, PMID 33567185. PubMed
  17. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Medical services by phone (811 in most provinces and Yukon; Info-Santé 811 in Quebec). Checked 12 October 2026. Link
  18. Pedersen SD, Manjoo P, Dash S, et al. Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacotherapy for Obesity Management in Adults, 2025 update. Obesity Canada, Version 3, 11 August 2025 (recommendations; six medicines approved for obesity in Canada; off-label use discouraged; trial summaries including when average weight plateaued; stopping and regain). PDF

Last checked 14 Oct 2026 · Next review due 14 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this page was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. Prices are official list, formulary or maker-submitted prices, never a pharmacy, clinic, savings-card or coupon price. 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 your family doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. We don’t sell, prescribe or recommend any brand or provider. How we write