Novo’s Big Game spot can help reinforce the Wegovy pill’s credibility against copycat compounded versions.
Lilly’s tirzepatide is projected to top 2026 sales as pills and uses beyond diabetes and weight loss expand demand.
The news: Hims & Hers will soon expand its business to Canada, where it plans to sell generic semaglutide. The bottom line: Novo just gave a massive gift to healthcare companies that are in the weight loss drug market but can no longer sell compounded GLP-1s now that the brand-name versions are available again. We’ll likely see more players in this space that primarily operate in the US expanding north of the border, while others could take advantage of President Trump’s executive order that calls for the FDA to authorize more states to import lower-cost drugs from Canada.
The news: Novo Nordisk missed an important patent filing deadline in Canada for its weight loss and diabetes drug semaglutide, opening the door to generics as soon as next year. Our take: If Sandoz and other generic makers start selling semaglutide GLP-1 drugs in Canada next year, FDA approval for states may not matter. If drugmakers do start selling generic GLP-1s in Canada, Novo will see Ozempic brand sales drop, but the GLP-1 market could see a generics’ explosion.
Hims & Hers will still sell compounded semaglutide to some patients: The company isn’t ready to admit defeat in the battle between compounded GLP-1 sellers and Big Pharma. But Hims’ competitive advantage in the weight loss drug market is getting weaker.
It’s about to get a lot harder to get cheap GLP-1s: Rising costs may force consumers to cut back on discretionary spending, creating headwinds for retailers already fearing tariff-driven cost increases.
Novo asks FDA to ban compounders from making GLP-1 copies: The drugmaker argues Ozempic’s key ingredient is too complex to make safely, even during shortages. With patient access to affordable GLP-1s on the line, the FDA has a difficult decision to make.
Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 medication shortage ends: The host of players who offer compounded versions of the blockbuster drugs don’t have to worry—yet.
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