Eligible members can now buy the brand-name semaglutide at a price the company aligns with generics
Novo Nordisk Canada will now offer its Ozempic Savings Card to Canadians with private drug plans, letting eligible members buy the brand-name semaglutide at a price the company says is aligned with generic alternatives.
The change took effect immediately, according to Novo Nordisk Canada.
The expansion applies across the country except Quebec, and builds on discounts the company already offered to patients paying entirely out-of-pocket.
Novo Nordisk said all patients with private coverage will see savings through the card regardless of their copay amount when they choose Ozempic.
Members can access the discount at pharmacies nationwide outside Quebec, the company said, and savings apply automatically through Novo Nordisk Care Rx, operated by Rexall, as well as select online telehealth and retail partners.
Further eligibility details sit on the company's Ozempic.ca site.
The move targets Canadians who hold employer- or insurer-backed drug coverage and want to stay on the branded product rather than switch to a generic.
Iain Graham, general manager at Novo Nordisk Canada, said access and affordability matter to patients.
The program aims to help eligible patients keep "equitable access" to a treatment they chose with their healthcare professional, he said.
Health Canada approved Ozempic in 2018, and more than 1m Canadians now use semaglutide, as per the company.
Novo Nordisk also said it has an established supply of the drug across Canada.
Ozempic is indicated for once-weekly treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes to improve glycemic control, and can be used alongside metformin, a sulfonylurea, an SGLT2 inhibitor, and basal insulin with metformin.
