Remember Viagra – the drug with the yukky side-effect that initially doomed it, then the side-effect (negating erectile dysfunction) became the newly purposed goal?

Consider Ozempic,    a weekly, injectable prescription medication that originally helped adults with type 2 diabetes manage blood sugar levels, with  weight loss as a side effect – that became the new purpose.

It works by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1 that slows digestion and tells the brain you’re full. Ozempic has been proven to reduce cardiovascular risks like stroke or heart attack.   As a prescription drug, it has been very expensive.  Until now.

Today’s online New York Times reports:  ”In India, China and several other nations, Novo Nordisk is on the verge of losing patent protection for its blockbuster weight loss drug, Ozempic, opening the door for cheaper competing versions.   The blockbuster weight loss drug sold as Ozempic and Wegovy will soon go generic in countries that are home to 40 percent of the world’s population, significantly lowering the price of a costly medicine that had been largely unaffordable to nearly all but the wealthiest people.

So, on Saturday [today], Novo Nordisk, the company that until now has had a monopoly on selling the drug, will lose patent protection in several of the world’s most populous countries. The first generic versions are expected to arrive in India as soon as this weekend. In the coming months, the generics are also expected to become available in China, Canada, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa.

The Global Obesity Data website reports that “More than one billion people worldwide are living with obesity, according to 2022 data from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization (WHO). This includes approximately 890 million adults and 159 million children, representing a doubling of adult obesity rates since 1990 and a quadrupling among children and adolescents.”

If you live in a country where Ozempic is now generic, or have friends or family who live there, and if you need it, perhaps you can now obtain it without breaking the bank.  And the good news is, even though weight loss typically does not remain after stopping Ozempic  (most people regain a significant portion of the weight within one year), if it is affordable as a generic, it can be taken regularly.   (Caveat:  A new analysis from Cleveland Clinic, involving nearly 8,000 patients, suggests that stopping drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide (GLP1 drugs) does not typically result in major weight regain in real-world settings. Many patients either restart treatment later or switch to other weight management options, which may help limit weight gain.) ***

The bad news is,  Ozempic  is not expected to face generic competition in the United States until at least December 2031 or 2032, due to patent protections held by Novo Nordisk.  Some 40% or more of Americans over 20 are defined (by Body Mass Index) as obese.  Can we foresee generic Ozempic sneaking over the US-Canadian border?  Will Canada help slim bulging American waistlines, and improve health, even if it did lose Olympic gold in men’s and women’s hockey?

*** Hamlet Gasoyan, Rebecca Schulte, Christopher B. Boyer, Nicholas J. Casacchia, W. Scott Butsch, Phuc Le, Ali Aminian, Marcio L. Griebeler, Bartolome Burguera, Michael B. Rothberg. Obesity Treatments and Weight Changes in Clinical Practice After Discontinuation of Semaglutide or Tirzepatide. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2026; DOI: 10.1111/dom.70660

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)