Canadians will be able to get their hands on Wegovy, a weight-loss drug from Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk, in spring 2024, the company said Monday.
Wegovy was first approved by Health Canada in 2021 but hasn’t been accessible due to high demand and an ongoing supply shortage. At the time, the company said it expected the drug to be commercially available in Canada in the fall of 2022.
“We continue to see high global demand for Wegovy, which we believe speaks to the considerable unmet need for treatment options to support people living with obesity – a serious medical condition,” a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said in an email sent to Global News Monday.
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“We will work closely with healthcare providers and regulators in Canada to continually assess the level of need along with our supply. We will share a confirmed date for product availability as soon as we are able to do so.”
Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Ozempic, contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which is well-known for its efficacy in aiding weight management and Type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic, also made by Novo Nordisk, is approved in Canada as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, though it has garnered headlines for its off-label use as a weight-loss drug.
Wegovy, meanwhile, was the first prescription drug approved for weight loss in Canada.
Canada is currently facing a shortage of Ozempic, with an anticipated scarcity of the 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and one mg injection pens expected to persist until early 2024.
— With files from Global News’ Kathryn Mannie
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