Demand for Ozempic and Wegovy has soared in recent years, with Ozempic the highest-earning prescription medicine in Canada.George Frey/Reuters
Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. NVO-N has struck a new partnership with B.C.-based online pharmacy Pocketpills for home delivery of its blockbuster diabetes and obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
Novo Nordisk said patients will not be required to fill their prescriptions at Pocketpills, but that doing so will provide a streamlined ordering process and automatic discounts – which may vary based on a patient’s insurance coverage and eligibility – through the Novo Nordisk savings card. As well, those patients can access help through Novo Nordisk’s patient support program as part of a “unified” experience with Pocketpills.
Raj Gulia, chief executive officer of Pocketpills, said he sees the partnership as part of a global evolution of the pharmaceutical space, where drugmakers are trying to connect more directly with patients, and patients are trying to cut down time spent in line at a pharmacy or doctor’s office.
“It’s making life easier for the user, and maybe that’s why the pharmaceutical companies are focusing on the direct-to-consumer model,” he said.
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Pocketpills, founded in 2018, operates four fulfilment centres across Canada to deliver medications in all provinces except Quebec.
Demand for Ozempic and Wegovy has soared in recent years and Ozempic is by far the highest-earning prescription medicine in Canada.
More than $1.6-billion of Ozempic was sold at retail pharmacies from Jan. 1 to July 31 of this year, according to data from IQVIA Canada, which aggregates prescription sales. That puts Ozempic on pace to eclipse the $2.5-billion sold last year and quadruple its sales in just four years.
Wegovy, which is a higher dose version of the drug meant to be taken for obesity, sold $324-million from Jan. 1 to July 31, according to IQVIA Canada, making it the ninth-best-selling drug. It sold $182-million in all of last year.
Wegovy sold $324-million from Jan. 1 to July 31, according to IQVIA Canada.Hollie Adams/Reuters
(Ozempic is meant to be prescribed just for patients with diabetes but is also sometimes prescribed for “off label” uses such as managing weight.)
Mr. Gulia said he expects those numbers to grow further in the coming years as the drugs continue to be investigated for new applications, such as treating heart disease.
“This is just the starting of the market,” he said, and added: “There’s billions of dollars of sales per year, and everybody’s sort of excited how next year is going to be.”
Mounjaro, from U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co., is the closest competitor of Ozempic and sold $174-million from Jan. 1 to July 31, according to IQVIA Canada. It was the 21st-best-selling drug in that period and earned $59-million in 2024, the first full year it was available in Canada.
As demand for these drugs continues to rise, the market is poised to change dramatically in the new year. Novo Nordisk will lose legal exclusivity on the drug in January, opening the door for cheaper generic versions to come available. So far five drugmakers have filed with Health Canada to begin the process of winning approval for their generic products, although it is not guaranteed that all those versions will come to market or when next year they will be available for sale.
Generic drug prices are set as a percentage of the name-brand price, based on factors decided in an agreement between a quasi-government body and the drugmakers. In the case of Ozempic, the generic price could be 35 per cent of the name-brand price if there are at least three generic products on the market. The list price of Ozempic is currently $223 for a four-week supply, though that can rise when pharmacy markups and fees are added.
Mr. Gulia said Pocketpills plans to work with “all manufacturers” when generics become available next year.