Hims & Hers starts selling Apotex generic semaglutide in Canada

Hims & Hers Health said Thursday it has started selling generic semaglutide to patients in Canada, with the drug supplied by Apotex Inc ^[1][2]. It is the telehealth company's first generic GLP-1 offer outside the United States ^[1][2].

Semaglutide is the molecule behind Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, prescribed for type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy, prescribed for weight loss ^[2]. Novo's Canadian patent on the molecule has expired, letting other manufacturers sell copies there ^[1][2].

Apotex won Health Canada's approval earlier this month and began selling its version, Apo-Semaglutide Injection, last week ^[1][2]. The approved label covers once-weekly use in adults with type 2 diabetes ^[1][2]. India-based Dr Reddy's also cleared Health Canada last month and has a generic on the Canadian market ^[1][2].

Price and program details

Branded Ozempic in Canada costs between C$200 and C$400 a month, a range that varies with dose, province and insurance coverage ^[1][2]. Reuters put the exchange rate at $1 = 1.3767 Canadian dollars, making C$200 roughly US$145 ^[2].

Hims said personalized plans for Canadians start at C$149 a month ^[1][2]. The company said it would consider deals with other Canadian manufacturers but declined to give names or terms ^[1][2]. Apotex had not replied to a Reuters question when the article ran ^[2].

The two accounts describe the program differently. BNN Bloomberg reported that Hims is offering the generic to Canadians who have type 2 diabetes ^[1]. Reuters reported the drug will be sold as part of Hims's weight-loss program, and noted that while Health Canada authorized the generic for type 2 diabetes management, Hims does not currently provide treatment services for that condition in Canada ^[2]. Both agree the Health Canada authorization itself covers type 2 diabetes.

Sandy Van, chief medical officer at Hims & Hers Canada, said: "When more affordable options enter the GLP-1 space, it becomes more dynamic, and prices fall across the board. That benefits patients everywhere, regardless of where they seek care" ^[1][2]. That is the company's view; the reports include no outside analysis of the pricing effects.

Why it matters for patients

Nothing in the reports changes what is available to a patient in the United States. Whether a generic semaglutide will be sold in the US, and when, has not been reported. The reports also do not compare American and Canadian prices, so the size of any gap is not established.

What the reports do show is how quickly the Canadian market moved. Approval for Apotex's product came earlier this month, its commercial launch followed last week, and a US telehealth company is already selling it ^[1][2]. Dr Reddy's went through the same steps over roughly the same weeks ^[1][2].

The labeling distinction matters for patients weighing options. Apo-Semaglutide Injection's authorized use in Canada is type 2 diabetes, not weight management ^[1][2]. Generic copies contain the same active ingredient as the brand, but a prescriber's decision depends on what the product is approved for and the patient's own situation.

For Canadians paying out of pocket, the numbers in the reports give some sense of the range: C$200 to C$400 monthly for branded Ozempic, against a C$149 starting point for the Hims plans ^[1][2]. Those figures cover the brand and one telehealth offering, not the full Canadian market.

What happens next

Hims left the door open to agreements with additional Canadian manufacturers, without naming any or setting a timetable ^[1][2]. No date has been disclosed for expanding the Canadian service, for entering another country, or for any move into the US generic market. Apotex's response to Reuters was still pending at publication ^[2].