Apotex puts a generic version of Ozempic on the Canadian market

Apotex Inc. said on May 14, 2026 that it has started commercial sales of Apo-Semaglutide Injection, which it describes as a generic equivalent of Ozempic. The Toronto-based company said the first inventory is moving to wholesalers, and that the pens should reach Canadian pharmacies in the weeks ahead ^[1].

The product comes in two prefilled pen sizes. The 2 mg pen (0.68 mg/mL) is built to deliver 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg doses, while the 4 mg pen (1.34 mg/mL) gives 1 mg doses, the release says ^[1]. Apotex said the pen's instructions for use match those of brand-name semaglutide, a detail the company framed as helping patients and health care professionals move between products without relearning the device ^[1].

The approval in Canada covers one use: once-weekly treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults, alongside diet and exercise, to improve blood sugar control ^[1]. The company's statement names no other approved indication.

Apotex said the medicine was developed with Orbicular Pharmaceutical Technologies and reviewed by Health Canada through its standard pathway for peptide drugs ^[1]. The release says the product is aligned with "all available brand-equivalent formats," and lists doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg ^[1].

Martin Arès, president of Apotex Canada, tied the launch to the company's domestic identity. The launch "reflects our Canadian roots and our dedication to making important treatment options more accessible to people across Canada," he said, adding that the company is proud to offer a high-quality, affordable option ^[1].

What the announcement leaves open matters as much as what it states. There is no price, no discount percentage and no estimate of what a patient's out-of-pocket cost will be ^[1]. Nor is there any figure for how much supply Apotex has available or how many patients it expects to reach ^[1]. For warnings, side effects and monitoring requirements, the company points health care professionals to the product monograph ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Ozempic is one of the best-known brand-name forms of semaglutide, and a generic version in any market tends to raise questions about price. Apotex calls its product "affordable," but the announcement carries no number behind that word, so the change in cost for someone filling a prescription in Canada cannot be worked out from the release ^[1].

Geography is the other limit. The statement covers Canada only. It says nothing about Apotex selling the product in the United States, nothing about a U.S. application or license, and nothing about a timeline for one ^[1]. Nothing here changes which semaglutide products patients in the U.S. can get.

The approved use described is type 2 diabetes, treated once a week along with diet and exercise ^[1]. Weight loss is not among the indications named, and the company did not say whether it is pursuing or studying that use for this product.

What happens next

Apotex said the pens will be on Canadian pharmacy shelves in the coming weeks, without naming a date ^[1]. Whether other companies follow with their own generic semaglutide products in Canada or elsewhere has not been reported, and Apotex has not disclosed plans for any market outside Canada ^[1].