SerpApi.Org
A Canadian subsidiary of Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company has officially received regulatory approval from Health Canada to distribute a generic version of a highly popular type 2 diabetes and weight-loss blockbuster drug.
Durban-based Aspen Pharmacare was granted authorisation for Aspen-Semaglutide, an generic alternative to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, following the expiration of the original patent in January 2026.
Aspen’s ‘Ozempic’ on the way
The generic semaglutide will be produced across two international sites to meet anticipated market demand. Aspen group chief executive Stephen Saad, 62, confirmed that the company’s South African base will manufacture multi-dose pens, while a facility in France will produce single-dose autoinjectors.
However, the commercial launch timeline currently remains uncertain. Supply chain disruptions involving the active pharmaceutical ingredient from India’s Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories could delay the drug’s distribution in Canada until at least late October 2026.
Legacy
Tracing its roots back to an 1850 chemist shop in Port Elizabeth, the modern iteration of Aspen was founded in 1997 by Saad and Gus Attridge. After acquiring South African Druggists in a R2.4 billion hostile takeover in 1999, the JSE-listed company grew into a multinational powerhouse that generated R40.7 billion in revenue for the 2023 financial year.
Headquartered in uMhlanga, the company boasts a proud legacy of providing affordable treatments across emerging and developed markets. It famously launched Africa’s first generic antiretroviral for HIV in 2003, and currently operates 23 manufacturing facilities across 15 global sites.
The pharmaceutical titan continues to dominate the local healthcare market, recently securing the lion’s share of a R15.5 billion South African government tender to supply daily antiretroviral pills.
Additionally, the company is part of a renewed national push to potentially manufacture generic six-monthly HIV prevention injections locally.
The post South African pharma giant secures Canadian nod for generic Ozempic appeared first on SA People.
