By Paul Vieira
OTTAWA--Canadian regulators approved Apotex's bid to manufacture a generic version of the weight-loss drug Wegovy.
Canada's health department, which is in charge of drug approvals, said Monday it authorized Apotex's bid following a review of evidence from the company that meets the regulator's criteria for generic drugs. Wegovy is produced by Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk.
In April, Canada became the first Group of Seven economy to approve a generic version of semaglutide. At that time, Canada authorized a generic version of Ozempic developed by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories.
Canada said the semaglutide injection it approved is to be used once a week for patients 12 years and over as a supplement to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management.
Canada's health department said many generic medication are anywhere from 45% to 90% cheaper than the brand-name versions.
Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com