Aspen Pharmacare Eyes Canada GLP-1 Generic Approval by September

Africa’s largest drugmaker expects to get approval in Canada for its generic GLP-1 obesity treatment by September, potentially giving it an early start in a key market after Novo Nordisk A/S’s Ozempic patent expired.

Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. is targeting regulatory approval between May and September for its copycat version of semaglutide, the key ingredient in Ozempic, Chief Executive Officer Stephen Saad said in an interview. The Durban, South Africa-based company hopes to be among the first to market in Canada, helping it in other nations that look to established regulators as benchmarks.