Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. steps up social innovation with new partnership with digital pharmacy Pocketpills. Together, they’ll help you get home delivery of Ozempic, a diabetes drug. This collaboration will mainly work at increasing the accessibility and availability of this specific prescription drug for the patients that need it. Demand for the drug has exploded during the past year.
From January 1 through July 31 of this year, Ozempic really took off. It caused more than $1.6 billion in sales at Canadian pharmacies, making it the most profitable prescription drug in Canadian history. Developed initially for diabetes, Ozempic can sometimes be used off-label, which includes using it for weight loss. This record demand for this medication is indicative of a deeper trend where pharmaceutical companies are shifting more toward a direct-to-consumer model.
Wegovy — a higher-dose version of Ozempic, specifically marketed for use with obese patients — has been hugely successful. In doing so, it sold $324 million that same period and was ranked the ninth-best-selling drug in Canada.
Mounjaro, a rival drug made by Eli Lilly and Co., brought in $174 million from January 1 through July 31. In fact, this remarkable revenue turned it into the 21st best-selling drug in the entire country. Mounjaro’s initial sales during its first full year on the Canadian market totaled $59 million domestically.
The skyrocketing demand for Ozempic and Wegovy has piqued the interest of at least five other drugmakers. They’re now pushing Health Canada to give the green light for generic versions of these medications. When and if these generic options will be available on the market is still up in the air.
Raj Gulia, healthcare analyst at the consulting firm GlobalData, explained the impact of this particular partnership and the larger trend it represents in the pharmaceutical industry. He pointed to the rising tide of home delivery services as a key opportunity to improve the patient experience.
“It’s making life easier for the user, and maybe that’s why the pharmaceutical companies are focusing on the direct-to-consumer model.” – Raj Gulia
Novo Nordisk and Pocketpills have partnered to improve access to medications for Canadian patients. Together, this alliance will better serve patients who face challenges accessing prescriptions through the pharmacy to the door model.
As Ozempic and Wegovy keep taking over both the diabetes and obesity markets, the pharmaceutical landscape will undoubtedly change even more. Gulia touted this accomplishment, calling it an indication of much more to come and the beginning of a larger shift in the industry.
“This is just the starting of the market,” – Raj Gulia
