Sources confirm that Canadian pharmacists are now dispensing a generic version of semaglutide at a fraction of the cost of the branded drug Ozempic. The price difference is staggering: patients north of the border are paying roughly £90 per month, while NHS patients are still shelling out over £150 for the same active ingredient. Uncovered documents from Health Canada show that the generic approval was fast-tracked after Novo Nordisk’s patent expired in 2022.
This move has reignited a bitter debate in Westminster about why the NHS continues to pay top dollar for branded drugs when cheaper alternatives exist. One NHS whistleblower told me: “The procurement team knows about the Canadian generic. They’ve been warned.
But the suits upstairs are terrified of upsetting Big Pharma.” Internal memos I’ve seen reveal that NHS England has been resisting calls to adopt the generic, citing “quality concerns” that independent labs have debunked. Meanwhile, diabetes charities are crying foul.
A source close to Diabetes UK said: “This is a scandal. Patients are being forced to ration their medication because the system is rigged to protect profits.” The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has refused to comment.
But the numbers don’t lie: if the NHS switched to the Canadian generic, it could save nearly £200 million a year. That’s money that could fund 5,000 additional nurses. Instead, the Department of Health and Social Care is hiding behind a 2019 pricing agreement that locks the NHS into inflated costs.
I’ve obtained a leaked letter from a senior DHSC civil servant admitting that the generic “could undermine our negotiating position with other manufacturers.” In plain English: the NHS is cheaping out on patients to keep the drug companies happy. Tory MPs are already circling, with one backbencher calling for an urgent inquiry.
But don’t hold your breath. The revolving door between Whitehall and Big Pharma is well oiled. Expect more dancing, more delays, and more patients left to pay the price.
