Dr. Reddy's Semaglutide Shortage Drags On as Generic Ozempic Struggles to Reach Pharmacies

Update, September 22, 2026: Health Canada's shortage tracker has changed twice since this article was first published. Dr. Reddy's shortage status was upgraded from "anticipated" to a confirmed "actual shortage" on September 16, and Apotex's Apo-Semaglutide Injection -- previously not listed at all -- was newly declared an actual shortage on September 17 (effective September 15), citing demand overflow from Dr. Reddy's ongoing disruption. The sections below have been updated to reflect both changes.

Nearly two months after Dr. Reddy's Laboratories reported a manufacturing disruption affecting its generic semaglutide injection, that shortage is now confirmed as an actual shortage on Health Canada's official tracker, with no resolution date in sight -- and Apotex's competing generic, which had no shortage report at all as recently as September 13, is now short too. Fresh sales data published earlier this month showed that neither of Canada's two approved semaglutide generics -- from Dr. Reddy's and Apotex -- had captured more than a sliver of the market, even months after generic competition to Ozempic became possible for the first time among G7 countries; the new Apotex shortage suggests that dynamic may now be shifting under supply pressure rather than easing.

Key takeaways

• Dr. Reddy's Semaglutide Injection 1.34 mg (DIN 02567806) was listed as an "anticipated shortage" since July 10, 2026, but Health Canada's tracker was updated on September 16, 2026 to confirm an actual shortage, with an actual start date of July 20, 2026; the estimated end date is still listed as "unknown."
• Apotex's Apo-Semaglutide Injection 1.34 mg (DIN 02568012) had no open shortage report as of this article's original publication, but Health Canada's tracker now shows an actual shortage with an actual start date of September 15, 2026 (Report #293555, updated September 17). Apotex's own comments attribute this to "increased demand as a result of competitor having supply challenges and not currently supplying the market," with inventory "limited and currently on allocation" and new stock "released weekly."
• Brand-name Ozempic has no open shortage report; its most recent entries are all marked "resolved," and Novo Nordisk issued a media advisory on September 18, 2026 confirming stable Ozempic supply across Canada, consistent with pharmacists' reports that the brand remains readily available.
• According to sales data reported earlier this month by a Canadian pharmacist writing for Science-Based Medicine, Apotex sold about $15 million of its generic through the first half of 2026 and Dr. Reddy's about $1 million, against $1.49 billion in brand Ozempic sales over the same period.
• As of September 22, 2026, both of Canada's approved generic semaglutide products have an open "actual shortage" status simultaneously for the first time -- a materially different, tighter supply picture than existed even a week earlier.

The Dr. Reddy's shortage, in detail

Health Canada's shortage report for Dr. Reddy's Semaglutide Injection lists the cause as "disruption of the manufacture of the drug." The report was filed July 10, 2026 with an anticipated start date of July 20, 2026, and sat unchanged for over two months; it was updated on September 16, 2026 to confirm the shortage as actual, with the same July 20 date now recorded as the actual start. No resolution or end date has been recorded. Federal shortage reporting is mandatory for manufacturers of medically necessary drugs but is self-reported and updated on the company's own schedule -- the fact that this shortage has now been confirmed as actual, more than two months after it began, generally means the underlying supply problem has not been fixed, not that Health Canada has lost track of it.

Apotex is now short too: demand overflow forces allocation

Apotex was first to market with a generic in April 2026, ahead of expectations, after semaglutide's Canadian patent lapsed on January 4, 2026 -- reportedly an oversight by Novo Nordisk that made Canada the first G7 country with generic competition to the drug. As recently as this article's original publication, Apotex's product did not appear in Health Canada's shortage and discontinuation database under any search for "semaglutide," "Apo-semaglutide," or "Apotex." That changed on September 17, when Health Canada's tracker added a new report (#293555) for Apo-Semaglutide Injection, listing an actual shortage with an actual start date of September 15, 2026. The stated reason is "demand increase for the drug," and Apotex's own company comments are direct about the cause: "Due to increased demand as a result of competitor having supply challenges and not currently supplying the market, Apo-Semaglutide Injection inventory is limited and currently on allocation. New inventory is being released weekly to fulfill market demand." In effect, Dr. Reddy's ongoing disruption pushed pharmacy and patient demand onto the one other approved generic, and that generic could not fully absorb it.

Why brand Ozempic still dominates

Canadian semaglutide sales have grown from $126 million in 2019 to $2.9 billion in 2025, and brand Ozempic remains on pace for a record year in 2026 even with generics on the market. Generic pricing is currently around $100 per month, a significant discount versus the brand, but Novo Nordisk has reportedly moved to offer coupons that discount the net price of Ozempic for patients, blunting some of the generics' price advantage. With both generic products now facing officially declared shortages barely months after launch, brand Ozempic's head start, marketing reach, and confirmed stable supply appear likely to keep holding most of the market for the near term.

Practice guidance for pharmacists

• Check Health Canada's shortage and discontinuation database by DIN before promising a patient a generic switch, rather than assuming availability based on approval status alone -- and re-check it now even for products you previously confirmed as available, since Apotex's status changed within days.
• For both Dr. Reddy's product (DIN 02567806) and Apotex's product (DIN 02568012), confirm current stock and allocation status directly with the manufacturer or wholesaler before committing to a switch, since neither shortage has a published end date.
• Ask your wholesaler specifically about Apotex's weekly allocation releases -- intermittent restocking means a pharmacy that is out today may receive limited stock within the week, which is a different conversation with patients than an indefinite stockout.
• Watch for compounded "semaglutide" products offered as a workaround: Health Canada has warned that compounding sterile GLP-1 products is high-risk and has recalled at least two compounded semaglutide products, including ones combined with unproven additives like pyridoxine (vitamin B6).
• Document substitution attempts and outcomes so patients aren't repeatedly sent back and forth between pharmacy and prescriber over supply issues.
• Set patient expectations early: with both approved generics now under supply constraints and brand Ozempic confirmed stable, a temporary return to the brand-name product may be the most reliable option for some patients until one or both generic shortages resolve.

What's next

Until Dr. Reddy's and Apotex's shortage reports are both updated with a resolution, pharmacists have no official timeline for when either generic will be reliably available again, and brand-name Ozempic remains the only semaglutide option with a confirmed stable supply.