Clarity in every comparison.Key takeaways
- Reporting period: January–June 2026. All sales amounts are CAD and include pharmacy markup and dispensing fees.
- Ozempic accounted for the largest reported amount: $1.49 billion.
- Early generic sales cover only a short launch window, not six full months of competition.
First-half 2026 sales at a glance
Canadian retail pharmacies · CAD · January–June 2026
| Product | Reported sales |
|---|---|
| Ozempic | $1.49 billion |
| Wegovy | $455 million |
| Mounjaro | $311 million |
| Zepbound | $124 million |
| Apotex generic semaglutide | $15 million |
| Dr. Reddy’s generic semaglutide | $1 million |
Rounded figures include pharmacy markup and dispensing fees. Source: IQVIA Canada, as reported by Chris Hannay in The Globe and Mail.
Ozempic still anchors the market
In his August 27 report, Chris Hannay of The Globe and Mail describes continued growth using aggregated prescription data from IQVIA Canada. Ozempic alone generated $1.49 billion in first-half retail pharmacy sales. Wegovy followed at $455 million, with Mounjaro at $311 million and Zepbound at $124 million.
These are sales values, not patient counts. They cannot tell us how many people used each medicine, which condition they were treated for, or how much an individual paid out of pocket.
What would make 2026 a record year?
The reported first-half total of about $2.4 billion already exceeded the category’s full-year sales in 2023. Doubling that rounded first-half figure produces a $4.8 billion annual pace, compared with $3.9 billion in 2025.
That is a useful way to describe momentum, but it assumes the second half matches the first. It is not a completed 2026 result or a separate IQVIA forecast. The product amounts shown above are also rounded, so their sum need not equal the rounded headline total exactly.
Generics have entered the figures, but the comparison is early
The report attributes $15 million in sales before June 30 to Apotex’s generic semaglutide and $1 million to Dr. Reddy’s. Both had only a short period on shelves within this reporting window. Those figures offer an early glimpse of market entry rather than a settled picture of demand.
Hannay also reports that Dr. Reddy’s disclosed manufacturing problems in July and expected shortages until late in the year. That was the outlook described in the August article; it does not establish today’s pharmacy inventory.
The RxTally view: watch the price you can actually obtain
A bigger national sales total does not tell a shopper whether their next prescription will cost less. The more useful test is whether a lower-priced product is available locally, can be dispensed for the prescription, and is covered by the person’s plan.
Generic entry makes the next round of prices worth following. Compare the exact product and package, ask for an itemized pharmacy quote, and check the insurer’s contribution. Retail sales growth and household affordability answer different questions.
Frequently asked questions
Are these manufacturer revenues?
No. The report describes retail pharmacy sales values that include pharmacy markup and dispensing fees.
Did Canada already record $4.8 billion in 2026 sales?
No. Roughly $4.8 billion is the result of repeating the reported first-half pace in the second half. The cited article reports January–June sales.
Sources & further reading
View source notes for this article →
The date above identifies the source announcement or article, not the publication date of this RxTally explanation.