Latest news with #SanjeevSockalingam
a day ago
- Health
Canadians could get more affordable version of Ozempic in early 2026. Here's how
Cheaper versions of medications to treat obesity, like Ozempic and Wegovy, could be on the market in Canada as soon as January. Ozempic is a social media darling — with celebrities singing its praises and people posting about major weight loss. But a patient can pay $400 a month for such medications, says Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, Obesity Canada's scientific director and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He says his patients have been frustrated and disappointed by the prohibitive cost. But now, several companies say they intend to market cheaper versions of such drugs. Here's what medical experts say: What are these medications? Injectable prescription drugs, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and the pill Rybelsus all contain the ingredient semaglutide. This class of medication, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1s), regulate blood sugar levels and appetite. Health Canada previously approved Ozempic to treat diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss. Nearly 33 per cent of Canadians (10.6 million people) were obese (new window) in 2023, according to a recent study. How much could the price come down? Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, will effectively lose its price protection on those drugs in Canada in January, opening the door to generic versions. Mina Tadrous, an associate professor who evaluates pharmaceutical prices at the University of Toronto, says three or four companies have them in development or are starting the paperwork. Tadrous says the number of companies affects pricing. The classic framework is that if you only have one, it comes down from the list price to 75 per cent, Tadrous said. If we have two, it goes down to 50 per cent and if we have three it hits 25 per cent. Three manufacturers could bring the price down to $100 from $400 for the same strength of semaglutide product, Tadrous estimates. Have the generic medications been approved? Not yet. Health Canada needs to consider each company's application to make and sell generic versions of the injectable medication, known as a biosimilar. Since they won't require new clinical trials, they could be available within weeks of Health Canada's approval — grandfathered in, based on the original trials, says Sockalingam. It's really about the equivalency of the medication in terms of its availability in the body and its metabolism. Will insurance cover them? Semaglutide is already listed (new window) on the Ontario drug formulary — a list of publicly covered medications for those over age 65, people living in long-term care homes, and for people receiving Ontario Works or disability payments. That means as soon as a generic form is available, those on public drug insurance plans could switch to it, and private insurance plans like those offered by employers likely will do the same, Tadrous says. Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, a professor of medicine at McGill University and a researcher, says this would be good news for people who have excess weight and resulting complications but who can't currently afford the branded medications. Generic versions will open the door for many more people, Dasgupta said. Mina Tadrous says if there are three manufacturers of generic semaglutide in Canada, it could bring the price down to $100. Photo: CBC / Craig Chivers What's involved in taking these medications? Dasgupta says it's important for people taking semaglutide to have it prescribed by a physician and then monitored. We should be insisting on having publicly accessible good diet and physical activity supports because we live in a society where people are gaining more and more weight, Dasgupta said. In England, for example, semaglutide is recommended with at least 13 hours of counselling on diet and physical activity. What about drug shortages? Because some medications also treat Type 2 diabetes, doctors and health-care policy experts continue to watch supply chains to prevent shortages. Dr. Harpreet Bajaj, an endocrinologist with LMC Healthcare in Brampton, Ont., recalls many times when patients with diabetes had to go off Ozempic or other GLP-1 medications because none was available. Having a biosimilar, which is made by an entirely new pharmaceutical company and maybe … made in a more cost-effective way would also relieve some pressures on any future shortages that we might expect, Bajaj said. Dasgupta, who also treats diabetes, said in her experience in Quebec, sometimes the medication is more accessible through the province's publicly funded plan for those who fulfil the medical criteria than through some private insurers that focus more strongly on cost. Amina Zafar (new window) · CBC News · Journalist Amina Zafar covers medical sciences and health care for CBC. She contributes to CBC Health's Second Opinion, which won silver for best editorial newsletter at the 2024 Digital Publishing Awards. She holds an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a master's in journalism.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Canadians could get more affordable version of Ozempic in early 2026. Here's how
Cheaper versions of medications to treat obesity, like Ozempic and Wegovy, could be on the market in Canada as soon as January. Ozempic is a social media darling — with celebrities singing its praises and people posting about major weight loss. But a patient can pay $400 a month for such medications, says Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, Obesity Canada's scientific director and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He says his patients have been frustrated and disappointed by the "prohibitive" cost. But now, several companies say they intend to market cheaper versions of such drugs. Here's what medical experts say: What are these medications? Injectable prescription drugs, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and the pill Rybelsus all contain the ingredient semaglutide. This class of medication, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1s), regulate blood sugar levels and appetite. Health Canada previously approved Ozempic to treat diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss. Nearly 33 per cent of Canadians (10.6 million people) were obese in 2023, according to a recent study. How much could the price come down? Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, will effectively lose its price protection on those drugs in Canada in January, opening the door to generic versions. Mina Tadrous, an associate professor who evaluates pharmaceutical prices at the University of Toronto, says three or four companies have them in development or are starting the paperwork. Tadrous says the number of companies affects pricing. "The classic framework is that if you only have one, it comes down from the list price to 75 per cent," Tadrous said. "If we have two, it goes down to 50 per cent and if we have three it hits 25 per cent." Three manufacturers could bring the price down to $100 from $400 for the same strength of semaglutide product, Tadrous estimates. Have the generic medications been approved? Not yet. Health Canada needs to consider each company's application to make and sell generic versions of the injectable medication, known as a biosimilar. Since they won't require new clinical trials, they could be available within weeks of Health Canada's approval — "grandfathered" in, based on the original trials, says Sockalingam. "It's really about the equivalency of the medication in terms of its availability in the body and its metabolism." Will insurance cover them? Semaglutide is already listed on the Ontario drug formulary — a list of publicly covered medications for those over age 65, people living in long-term care homes, and for people receiving Ontario Works or disability payments. That means as soon as a generic form is available, those on public drug insurance plans could switch to it, and private insurance plans like those offered by employers likely will do the same, Tadrous says. Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, a professor of medicine at McGill University and a researcher, says this would be good news for people who have excess weight and resulting complications but who can't currently afford the branded medications. Generic versions will "open the door for many more people," Dasgupta said. What's involved in taking these medications? Dasgupta says it's important for people taking semaglutide to have it prescribed by a physician and then monitored. "We should be insisting on having publicly accessible good diet and physical activity supports because we live in a society where people are gaining more and more weight," Dasgupta said. In England, for example, semaglutide is recommended with at least 13 hours of counselling on diet and physical activity. What about drug shortages? Because some medications also treat Type 2 diabetes, doctors and health-care policy experts continue to watch supply chains to prevent shortages. Dr. Harpreet Bajaj, an endocrinologist with LMC Healthcare in Brampton, Ont., recalls many times when patients with diabetes had to go off Ozempic or other GLP-1 medications because none was available. "Having a biosimilar, which is made by an entirely new pharmaceutical company and maybe … made in a more cost-effective way would also relieve some pressures on any future shortages that we might expect," Bajaj said. Dasgupta, who also treats diabetes, said in her experience in Quebec, sometimes the medication is more accessible through the province's publicly funded plan for those who fulfil the medical criteria than through some private insurers that focus more strongly on cost.
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
Canadians could get more affordable version of Ozempic in early 2026. Here's how
Social Sharing Cheaper versions of medications to treat obesity, like Ozempic and Wegovy, could be on the market in Canada as soon as January. Ozempic is a social media darling — with celebrities singing its praises and people posting about major weight loss. But a patient can pay $400 a month for such medications, says Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, Obesity Canada's scientific director and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He says his patients have been frustrated and disappointed by the "prohibitive" cost. But now, several companies say they intend to market cheaper versions of such drugs. Here's what medical experts say: What are these medications? Injectable prescription drugs, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and the pill Rybelsus all contain the ingredient semaglutide. This class of medication, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1s), regulate blood sugar levels and appetite. Health Canada previously approved Ozempic to treat diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss. Nearly 33 per cent of Canadians (10.6 million people) were obese in 2023, according to a recent study. How much could the price come down? Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, will effectively lose its price protection on those drugs in Canada in January, opening the door to generic versions. Mina Tadrous, an associate professor who evaluates pharmaceutical prices at the University of Toronto, says three or four companies have them in development or are starting the paperwork. Tadrous says the number of companies affects pricing. "The classic framework is that if you only have one, it comes down from the list price to 75 per cent," Tadrous said. "If we have two, it goes down to 50 per cent and if we have three it hits 25 per cent." Three manufacturers could bring the price down to $100 from $400 for the same strength of semaglutide product, Tadrous estimates. Have the generic medications been approved? Not yet. Health Canada needs to consider each company's application to make and sell generic versions of the injectable medication, known as a biosimilar. Since they won't require new clinical trials, they could be available within weeks of Health Canada's approval — "grandfathered" in, based on the original trials, says Sockalingam. "It's really about the equivalency of the medication in terms of its availability in the body and its metabolism." Will insurance cover them? Semaglutide is already listed on the Ontario drug formulary — a list of publicly covered medications for those over age 65, people living in long-term care homes, and for people receiving Ontario Works or disability payments. That means as soon as a generic form is available, those on public drug insurance plans could switch to it, and private insurance plans like those offered by employers likely will do the same, Tadrous says. Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, a professor of medicine at McGill University and a researcher, says this would be good news for people who have excess weight and resulting complications but who can't currently afford the branded medications. Generic versions will "open the door for many more people," Dasgupta said. What's involved in taking these medications? Dasgupta says it's important for people taking semaglutide to have it prescribed by a physician and then monitored. "We should be insisting on having publicly accessible good diet and physical activity supports because we live in a society where people are gaining more and more weight," Dasgupta said. In England, for example, semaglutide is recommended with at least 13 hours of counselling on diet and physical activity. What about drug shortages? Because some medications also treat Type 2 diabetes, doctors and health-care policy experts continue to watch supply chains to prevent shortages. Dr. Harpreet Bajaj, an endocrinologist with LMC Healthcare in Brampton, Ont., recalls many times when patients with diabetes had to go off Ozempic or other GLP-1 medications because none was available. "Having a biosimilar, which is made by an entirely new pharmaceutical company and maybe … made in a more cost-effective way would also relieve some pressures on any future shortages that we might expect," Bajaj said. Dasgupta, who also treats diabetes, said in her experience in Quebec, sometimes the medication is more accessible through the province's publicly funded plan for those who fulfil the medical criteria than through some private insurers that focus more strongly on cost.
Globe and Mail
23-05-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Provinces should cover weight-loss drugs for people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, says drug agency
Provincial governments should pay for the weight-loss drug Wegovy for people who are overweight and have survived a heart attack or stroke, according to a new report from the organization that advises Canadian public drug plans on which new medications to cover. Canada's Drug Agency, which released the draft recommendation on Thursday, said taxpayer-funded drug plans should reimburse Wegovy for people with a body mass index of 27 or higher and pre-existing cardiovascular disease because a clinical trial found the once-weekly injection cut their risk of another heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death by 20 per cent. If federal, provincial and territorial governments follow the CDA's advice – as they usually do – Wegovy would be the first prescription drug marketed for weight loss to be covered by public insurance plans, albeit only for a subset of overweight patients who also have cardiovascular disease or peripheral arterial disease, a condition that can lead to lower limb amputations. 'This is a huge landmark moment in that we're looking at obesity in a much more holistic sense,' said Sanjeev Sockalingam, the scientific director of Obesity Canada, a non-profit research and advocacy organization. Wegovy is one of the brand names of semaglutide, a medication better known as Ozempic. Ozempic is approved by Health Canada for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, but it has become a sales and cultural juggernaut because of how readily it helps users lose weight. Vaccine expert Peter Hotez on the resurgence of measles, antivaccination movement and RFK Jr. Wegovy is the higher-dose version of semaglutide approved for weight management. Health Canada added an authorization for cardiovascular disease to the medication's label late last year. Canada's Drug Agency estimates that covering Wegovy for overweight patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease would cost the public purse approximately $600-million over three years, but the tab could run as high as $3.5-billion, depending on uptake. The report says Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk Inc. would have to cut the drug's sticker price by 67 per cent to make it cost-effective for taxpayers. A year's worth of the maintenance dose of Wegovy costs just over $5,000. It is common practice for public drug plans in Canada to jointly negotiate lower, confidential prices after medications receive a positive recommendation from the CDA. Canadian public drug plans generally cover social-assistance recipients, senior citizens and people whose drugs come with bank-account-busting price tags, although policies differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Canadian private insurers, meanwhile, paid out $77-million in claims for weight-management drugs last year, up from nearly $38-million the year before, according to a recent Telus Health drug report. Public insurers in Canada and around the world have generally declined to cover prescription drugs for weight loss, dismissing them as cosmetic treatments akin to Botox for wrinkles. The CDA's predecessor recommended against funding Wegovy in 2022 because, at the time, there was no high-quality scientific evidence of the drug's health benefits beyond helping patients shed pounds. Novo Nordisk asked the CDA to give the drug a second look after a large randomized control trial called SELECT found Wegovy cut the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20 per cent. The SELECT trial enrolled participants with a BMI of at least 27 – which means a 5-foot-6 person would have to be 177 pounds or heavier to qualify – and a previous heart attack or stroke. The CDA recommendation matches the trial criteria. Subodh Verma, a cardiac surgeon and scientist at St. Michael's Hospital who co-led the SELECT trial, said people who struggle with obesity might wonder why they can't access public funding before suffering a heart attack or stroke. 'I totally get it, and I think we just have to wait,' he said. 'Those trials are ongoing right now. This is the first step.' Dr. Verma has disclosed receiving funding from Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk, as has Obesity Canada.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New obesity guidelines for kids address when medication is an option
TORONTO — A new guideline for treating obesity in children and adolescents says medication can be helpful, but that health providers should prioritize addressing nutrition, exercise and psychological needs. Obesity Canada's first update to the pediatric obesity management guideline in almost 20 years was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal this week. The organization's scientific director, Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, says both the scientific understanding and societal impact of obesity have since changed dramatically. Sockalingam says one of the major changes is the development of GLP-1 agonist drugs — such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro — for weight loss that have been studied in adolescents 12 years of age and over. He says the starting point for treating obesity should be a discussion with patients and their families about what their goals are and what nutrition, exercise and psychological support is needed. Sockalingam says if those actions aren't working then medication or bariatric surgery might be considered, but only after discussing the benefits and risks with the patient and their family. If medications are used, it's critical that nutrition, exercise and other needed treatments are also continued, the guideline says. The discussion about using medication should also include the fact that more research is still needed to determine the long-term effects, Sockalingam said. The guideline was developed by a committee of experts from several disciplines who evaluated multiple research studies on obesity. Children and adolescents, as well as their families, also gave their input about what would be helpful for them. Obesity Canada says about one in four children age 11 years and younger and one in three adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age are considered overweight or obese. Family doctors and other health-care providers should go beyond measuring their patients' body-mass index, or BMI, when assessing them, the guideline says. That means talking to kids and their families about specific goals other than weight loss, from managing blood pressure and cholesterol to improving their quality of life. It also emphasizes that health-care providers should avoid using stigmatizing language. "Some children with obesity and families have a history of negative interactions with health-care providers, including feeling blamed and shamed," the guideline says. "It is important to use encouraging, supportive words and language during clinical conversations." The Canadian Paediatric Society says it is reviewing the new guideline. 'Obesity is a complex and multi-faceted issue that demands an individualized response. We appreciate the time and care Obesity Canada put into the updated recommendations," the society said in an emailed statement. "Our subject matter experts are carefully reviewing the guidelines as we consider adopting them.' Sockalingam, who is also the psychosocial director for the University Health Network's bariatric surgery program in Toronto, said obesity is a chronic disease and should be treated that way. "There are struggles across health professions, including some primary-care providers that still are not aware that obesity is a chronic disease and that it requires a multimodal treatment," he said. Dr. Mélanie Henderson, who was on the pediatric obesity guideline development committee, said providing comprehensive treatment often requires improved access to other specialists, such as psychologists, nutritionists, kinesiologists and social workers. "(It's) lifestyle and behavioural interventions that's the heart of pediatric obesity management and it remains so, even if you have to increase your modalities by adding pharmacotherapy or bariatric surgery," said Henderson, who is a pediatric endocrinologist and researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal. Those interventions need to be tailored to each child, she said. Rather than giving "sort of blind recommendations that you need to be active one hour per day," talk about what activities the child is interested in and determine what's doable for the family. Mental health support may be needed to help children and teens deal with problems associated with obesity, including bullying and stigma, she said. "Obesity is not a personal choice," Henderson said, noting the importance of "helping kids find the confidence in themselves to make the changes, to not get discouraged." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
