Latest news with #Saynor
Vancouver Sun
16-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Cheaper generic Ozempic is coming to Canada after Novo Nordisk fails to maintain patent in this country
In what Science magazine has dubbed 'Novo Nordisk's Canadian Mistake,' Ozempic is soon to come off patent in Canada, opening the door to cheaper generic copycats, after the drug giant reportedly failed to pay a few hundred dollars in annual fees to maintain the patent rights before the weight-loss drug became a blockbuster seller. As Science reported, a patent, once lapsed, can't be restored. Novo Nordisk will continue to hold its U.S. patent until 2032. Ozempic was already the third most prescribed drug in Canada last year with 7,390,000 prescriptions dispensed, a 17 per cent increase over 2023, according to drug analytics research firm IQVIA. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Several applications for generic semaglutide, the active compound in Novo Nordisk's injectable drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, are now before Health Canada. Last week, a U.S. telehealth service announced plans to expand into Canada next year and offer generic semaglutide at a significant discount. Richard Saynor, the head of Sandoz, a global leader in generic and biosimilar drugs, told Endpoint News in June that his company has filed for approval for a generic semaglutide in Canada once Novo Nordisk's patent exclusivity expires 'sometime in Q1 next year.' Canada is the globe's second-biggest semaglutide market, Saynor told Endpoint News. 'You gotta ask why. I don't think Canadians are disproportionately large. There's clearly a dynamic, like insulin, with cross-border business,' he said. Americans with diabetes have crossed into Canada to buy insulin at much lower prices. Ozempic and Wegovy cost about $5,000 per year. If money is no longer a factor, if chemically-identical drugs are cheaper and more affordable, 'that's going to change the calculus for many people,' said Justin Lehmiller, a senior research fellow at Indiana University's Kinsey Institute and co-author of a new survey exploring the impact that weight-loss drugs — formally known as GLP-1 agonists — are having on dating and intimacy. The survey of 2,000 single Americans (aged 18 to 91) led by Kinsey with found eight per cent reported having used a GLP-1 medication for weight loss in the past year. Among the GLP-1 users, 16 per cent said exes had reached out to reconnect, 14 per cent said they were getting more matches on dating apps and 12 per cent said they were going on more dates. The drugs seemed to be doing more to booster 'online dating success' for men than for women, the researchers said. 'Some of the studies and research that I've seen suggest that men only match one in 100 times on dating apps where for women, it's more like one in 10,' Lehmiller said. 'An attractiveness boost for men, which often accompanies using these drugs, could translate into a much bigger impact for them in the world of dating.' Men, however, were nearly twice as likely to women to say they feared being judged or shamed for taking Ozempic or other GLP-1 drugs. 'There are some masculinity concerns that are tied up in this,' said Lehmiller, a social psychologist. Men might worry about being accused of cheating, he said. 'It might be viewed as a sign of weakness for turning to a drug as opposed to losing weight through 'hard work.'' About half of the GLP-1 users also said the medications impact their sex lives, in both positive and negative ways: 18 per cent said their sexual desire increased, while 16 per cent said it dropped. Sixteen per cent said their sexual function improved; 12 per cent said it worsened. It's a nuanced picture, Lehmiller said. 'These drugs seem to be affecting different people in different ways.' 'And I think that makes sense: There is a lot of variability in the side effects people experience on these drugs.' More side effects might mean more negative impact on intimacy, he said. The drugs have also been associated with a slightly higher risk o f erectile dysfunction and testosterone deficiency in men taking semaglutide for obesity compared to men not taking the drug. About one in five in the dating survey said the drugs are creating more stigma against being overweight. 'Changing standards of attractiveness might be creating more pressure for people to look a certain way or use these medications,' Lehmiller said. A study published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found 32.7 per cent of adults in Canada (10.6 million people) were obese in 2023, an eight per cent jump over 2009. Generic versions of semaglutide won't be as cheap as Aspirin. They'll still require a doctor's prescription, said Dr. Hertzel Gerstein, an endocrinologist and professor in McMaster University's department of medicine. 'Like all drugs it's a powerful drug that can have side effects and people need to be instructed on the proper way to take the drug, what to expect and what to do.' 'Is it possible that more people would be willing to pay out of pocket if they don't have insurance coverage for the drug? Sure, if it's cheaper,' Gerstein said. 'There may be more demand for it. People need to understand the risks and benefits.' Taken once a week by injection, Ozempic and Wegovy work by mimicking a hormone — glucagon-like peptide-1 — the small intestine releases when people eat. GLP-1 tricks the body into thinking it's full. It works on the brain to reduce appetite and interest in continuing to eat, and works on the stomach to slow how fast it empties so that food lingers in the stomach longer. Semaglutide has been studied extensively, Gerstein said. The amount of weight lost is related to the dosage: the higher the dose, the more weight dropped. In people with type 2 diabetes, the drug can reduce the need for insulin, or the dosage. 'But most importantly these drugs unequivocally reduce the future risk of serious health outcomes, including heart attacks, strokes, death from cardiovascular causes' and heart failure symptoms when used long-term, 'in the two- to five-year window of time,' Gerstein said. A major analysis published earlier this year based on health data from more than two million Americans veterans with diabetes found that, compared to more traditional drugs, GLP-1 use was associated with a reduced risk of substance use (alcohol, cannabis, stimulants and opioids), psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, seizures, several respiratory conditions and neurocognitive diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. The magnitude of the associated benefits — about a 10 to 20 per cent reduction for most outcomes — was modest, according to a background release, though the researchers said they don't 'negate' the potential value of the drugs. There were, however, several drawbacks, including an increased risk of gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), low blood pressure, fainting, arthritic disorders, kidney disorders and drug-induced pancreatitis associated with GLP-1 drugs compared to usual care. Nothing is guaranteed, Gerstein said. 'I always tell patients we don't know exactly what it'll do in you. And weight loss, if it's going to happen, usually takes a month or two to start' and plateaus at around eight months. People don't lose weight indefinitely. 'There's definitely a plateau. You do not keep losing weight,' he said. The drugs yield an average weight loss of around 15 per cent, and weight can also rebound rapidly once the drugs are stopped. Ozempic has been approved in Canada for diabetes but is often used 'off label' for obesity. Wegovy has been approved for obesity. In an email to National Post, Novo Nordisk, the only current company in Canada with Health Canada-approved products containing semaglutide, said 'all intellectual property decisions are carefully considered at a global level. 'Periods of exclusivity for pharmaceutical products end as part of their normal lifecycle and generic treatments may become available over time.' 'Currently, no Health Canada-approved generic versions of semaglutide exist and we cannot speculate on other manufacturers' plans,' the company said. National Post Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
Edmonton Journal
16-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Cheaper generic Ozempic is coming to Canada after Novo Nordisk fails to maintain patent in this country
In what Science magazine has dubbed 'Novo Nordisk's Canadian Mistake,' Ozempic is soon to come off patent in Canada, opening the door to cheaper generic copycats, after the drug giant reportedly failed to pay a few hundred dollars in annual fees to maintain the patent rights before the weight-loss drug became a blockbuster seller. Article content As Science reported, a patent, once lapsed, can't be restored. Novo Nordisk will continue to hold its U.S. patent until 2032. Article content Article content Ozempic was already the third most prescribed drug in Canada last year with 7,390,000 prescriptions dispensed, a 17 per cent increase over 2023, according to drug analytics research firm IQVIA. Article content Article content Several applications for generic semaglutide, the active compound in Novo Nordisk's injectable drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, are now before Health Canada. Last week, a U.S. telehealth service announced plans to expand into Canada next year and offer generic semaglutide at a significant discount. Article content Richard Saynor, the head of Sandoz, a global leader in generic and biosimilar drugs, told Endpoint News in June that his company has filed for approval for a generic semaglutide in Canada once Novo Nordisk's patent exclusivity expires 'sometime in Q1 next year.' Article content Canada is the globe's second-biggest semaglutide market, Saynor told Endpoint News. 'You gotta ask why. I don't think Canadians are disproportionately large. There's clearly a dynamic, like insulin, with cross-border business,' he said. Americans with diabetes have crossed into Canada to buy insulin at much lower prices. Article content Article content Ozempic and Wegovy cost about $5,000 per year. If money is no longer a factor, if chemically-identical drugs are cheaper and more affordable, 'that's going to change the calculus for many people,' said Justin Lehmiller, a senior research fellow at Indiana University's Kinsey Institute and co-author of a new survey exploring the impact that weight-loss drugs — formally known as GLP-1 agonists — are having on dating and intimacy. Article content The survey of 2,000 single Americans (aged 18 to 91) led by Kinsey with found eight per cent reported having used a GLP-1 medication for weight loss in the past year. Article content Among the GLP-1 users, 16 per cent said exes had reached out to reconnect, 14 per cent said they were getting more matches on dating apps and 12 per cent said they were going on more dates. The drugs seemed to be doing more to booster 'online dating success' for men than for women, the researchers said.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sandoz CEO slams EU-wide drug price proposal, warns US tariffs will hurt patient access
By Maggie Fick LONDON (Reuters) -The chief executive of generic drugmaker Sandoz said a proposal by the CEOs of Novartis and Sanofi to introduce a Europe-wide list price for new medicines is "deeply flawed" and would not solve global pricing inequities. Richard Saynor told Reuters that the proposal - outlined in a letter to the Financial Times last week - ignores structural drivers of high drug prices in the United States. "It made me smile, made me laugh," Saynor said of the proposal, adding that he thinks the Trump administration will succeed in driving down prices for brand-name medicines. But he said big pharmaceutical companies should not respond by hiking prices in Europe, which would hurt patient access. Saynor argued that U.S. patients have long borne a disproportionate share of costs for innovative medicines, while large drugmakers maintain high margins. He cited Amgen's autoimmune treatment Enbrel, which costs $70,000 per patient per year in the U.S., compared with $7,000 in Europe. Earlier this month, Sandoz filed a U.S. antitrust lawsuit against Amgen, alleging the company blocked biosimilar competition, including Sandoz's own version. Biosimilars are near-identical copies of complex biologic drugs whose patents have expired. Saynor said some form of U.S. price reform is inevitable, pointing to President Donald Trump's stalled plan to link drug prices to international benchmarks during his first term. Reuters reported last week that the Trump administration is again weighing such a move. Saynor said the structure of the U.S. healthcare system - including pharmacy benefit managers - inflates prices and he likened PBMs to "leeches sucking value out of healthcare". Generic drugs account for more than 90% of prescriptions filled in the U.S. but just 17% of spending, according to the Association for Accessible Medicines, the main generic medicines trade body. Saynor said greater use of generic and biosimilar drugs could help fund access to genuine innovation, rather than sustaining high prices for older, patent-protected medicines. Swiss-headquartered Sandoz, which spun off from Novartis in 2023, is one of the world's largest makers of generic and biosimilar drugs. The company sells anti-infectives and generic narcotics for hospital use in the United States. Saynor said Sandoz's North America President Keren Haruvi, who also chairs the AAM, has been meeting with White House officials nearly every week to discuss pharmaceutical imports and U.S. reliance on foreign drug production. "They have some really tough choices to make about security of supply ... and I'm quite optimistic these are the right conversations to have ... about accessibility, affordability," he said. He warned that if significant tariffs are imposed, Sandoz could be forced to withdraw some products from the U.S. market.
Reuters
28-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Sandoz CEO slams EU-wide drug price proposal, warns US tariffs will hurt patient access
LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - The chief executive of generic drugmaker Sandoz (SDZ.S), opens new tab said a proposal by the CEOs of Novartis (NOVN.S), opens new tab and Sanofi ( opens new tab to introduce a Europe-wide list price for new medicines is "deeply flawed" and would not solve global pricing inequities. Richard Saynor told Reuters that the proposal - outlined in a letter to the Financial Times last week - ignores structural drivers of high drug prices in the United States. Keep up with the latest medical breakthroughs and healthcare trends with the Reuters Health Rounds newsletter. Sign up here. "It made me smile, made me laugh," Saynor said of the proposal, adding that he thinks the Trump administration will succeed in driving down prices for brand-name medicines. But he said big pharmaceutical companies should not respond by hiking prices in Europe, which would hurt patient access. Saynor argued that U.S. patients have long borne a disproportionate share of costs for innovative medicines, while large drugmakers maintain high margins. He cited Amgen's (AMGN.O), opens new tab autoimmune treatment Enbrel, which costs $70,000 per patient per year in the U.S., compared with $7,000 in Europe. Earlier this month, Sandoz filed a U.S. antitrust lawsuit against Amgen, alleging the company blocked biosimilar competition, including Sandoz's own version. Biosimilars are near-identical copies of complex biologic drugs whose patents have expired. Saynor said some form of U.S. price reform is inevitable, pointing to President Donald Trump's stalled plan to link drug prices to international benchmarks during his first term. Reuters reported last week that the Trump administration is again weighing such a move. Saynor said the structure of the U.S. healthcare system - including pharmacy benefit managers - inflates prices and he likened PBMs to "leeches sucking value out of healthcare". Generic drugs account for more than 90% of prescriptions filled in the U.S. but just 17% of spending, according to the Association for Accessible Medicines, the main generic medicines trade body. Saynor said greater use of generic and biosimilar drugs could help fund access to genuine innovation, rather than sustaining high prices for older, patent-protected medicines. Swiss-headquartered Sandoz, which spun off from Novartis in 2023, is one of the world's largest makers of generic and biosimilar drugs. The company sells anti-infectives and generic narcotics for hospital use in the United States. Saynor said Sandoz's North America President Keren Haruvi, who also chairs the AAM, has been meeting with White House officials nearly every week to discuss pharmaceutical imports and U.S. reliance on foreign drug production. "They have some really tough choices to make about security of supply ... and I'm quite optimistic these are the right conversations to have ... about accessibility, affordability," he said. He warned that if significant tariffs are imposed, Sandoz could be forced to withdraw some products from the U.S. market.
