Ozempic is far and away the best-selling drug in Canada by revenue, with $2.8-billion in retail sales last year alone. It’s not clear, however, how much of that number comes from patients paying out of pocket to use Ozempic off-label for weight loss, but it is likely significant.
In the current environment, no public and few private insurance plans cover Ozempic or Wegovy for weight management, though Ozempic is covered for diabetes. Wegovy is the same drug, semaglutide, just sold at a different dose and approved expressly for weight loss.
Next year, Canada will become one of the first countries in the world to get generic semaglutide. What will its widespread availability mean for the health of Canadians and Canada’s health-care system?
Generic version of Ozempic, Wegovy to launch in Canada by Hims & Hers
For a future story, The Globe and Mail’s national health reporter Kelly Grant is looking to speak with people who have tried Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss.
What was your experience like? Did the weekly injections work for you? How did you feel while taking the drugs? What were the side effects like? Was it a financial strain, particularly if you were uninsured and paid out of pocket?
Is working out necessary in the age of Ozempic?
Kelly is also looking to interview people who would like to take Ozempic or Wegovy but can’t afford it at the current price. Has a doctor recommended it to you to treat obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or other conditions for which it is currently not covered by a private or public insurance plan? Are there personal implications for you with a lack of access?
Please share your story in the form below, or send Kelly an email at [email protected].
Have you tried Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss?
For a future story, The Globe and Mail’s national health reporter Kelly Grant is looking to speak with people who have tried Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss.
Did the weekly injections work for you? How did you feel while taking the drugs? Let us know in the box below.
