{"id":784828,"date":"2026-07-06T23:03:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T23:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/784828\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T23:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T23:03:09","slug":"mounjaro-zepbound-generic-glp-1-drugs-may-soon-be-available","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/784828\/","title":{"rendered":"Mounjaro, Zepbound: Generic GLP-1 Drugs May Soon Be Available"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SeveralShare on Pinterest<\/a>Federal regulators have agreed to review a Swiss pharmaceutical company\u2019s applications for two cheaper generic versions of Zepbound and Mounjaro. MK Photo\/Alamy Stock PhotoFederal regulators have agreed to review the applications from Swiss pharmaceutical company Sandoz for two cheaper generic versions of the tirzepatide medications Zepbound and Mounjaro.Eli Lilly\u2019s patents on those two brand-name drugs are valid in the United States until 2036, but they are expiring in other countries.Experts say a less expensive version of these GLP-1 medications would give more people access to these effective weight-loss drugs.<\/p>\n

Some less expensive versions of the GLP-1 medications Mounjaro and Zepbound are now officially in the government approval pipeline.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to review<\/a> two applications from Swiss manufacturer Sandoz to develop generic versions of those brand-name medications, both of which contain the active ingredient tirzepatide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The FDA hasn\u2019t specified how long this process will take, but on its website, the agency states<\/a> that it typically completes reviews of standard drug applications within 10 months.<\/p>\n

Sandoz has requested approval of their generic medications for the same uses as Mounjaro and Zepbound, which are manufactured by Eli Lilly.<\/p>\n

Mounjaro<\/a> is approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, while Zepbound<\/a> is authorized as a treatment for obesity as well as sleep apnea.<\/p>\n

The Sandoz generic drugs would be taken as a weekly injection, just like Zepbound and Mounjaro. Both are intended to be prescribed<\/a> along with a lifestyle plan that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise.<\/p>\n

The generic medications are expected to be less expensive than Mounjaro and Zepbound. Those brand-name drugs can cost more than $1,000 per month if they aren\u2019t covered by insurance. Sandoz estimates its product will cost between $200 and $400 per month without insurance.<\/p>\n

Generic medications tend to be cheaper<\/a> because the pharmaceutical companies that make them don\u2019t have to fund the initial scientific research that the brand-name companies conducted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSandoz is building its GLP-1 development platform, and this submission reflects true in-house innovation,\u201d said Claire D\u2019Abreu-Hayling<\/a>, the president of Generics Development and the chief scientific officer at Sandoz, in a press statement<\/a>. \u201cIt represents a key first step in our efforts to bring this medicine to market and underscores our ambition to increase competition and expand affordability in a critical area of healthcare need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eli Lilly has patent protection<\/a> in the United States for Mounjaro and Zepbound until 2036. That means<\/a> generic tirzepatide drugs cannot be sold in the U.S. until the patent expires unless a company gets special permission from the FDA or a court.<\/p>\n

There was an exception made to these restrictions in December 2022 when the FDA declared there was a shortage of GLP-1 medications and allowed compounded versions<\/a> of these drugs to be sold by telehealth providers.<\/p>\n

However, the FDA ruled<\/a> in December 2024 that the GLP-1 medication shortage had ended and compounded versions were no longer allowed to be sold.<\/p>\n

There is an intense race among pharmaceutical companies to enter the GLP-1 medication market, especially in countries outside the United States, where patents are expiring.<\/p>\n

In June, Canadian health officials approved<\/a> a generic version of Novo Nordisk\u2019s Wegovy medication to be used as a treatment for weight loss.<\/p>\n

Wegovy<\/a> is a weekly injection that contains the active ingredient semaglutide<\/a>. The new generic drug is Sevian, an injectable medication manufactured by Canada-based Apotex.<\/p>\n

Experts said generic GLP-1 medications should help reduce prices and boost supply.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be significant. The biggest obstacle for the medications is the cost,\u201d said Pouya Shafipour<\/a>, MD, a family and obesity medicine physician at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in California.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a breakthrough to have tirzepatide available that is safe,\u201d he told Healthline.<\/p>\n

Mir Ali<\/a>, MD, a bariatric surgeon and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California, added that insurance companies might be more likely to cover these less expensive brands. He said the generic drugs should also perform similarly to the brand-name medications.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the most part, they should be just as effective,\u201d he told Healthline.<\/p>\n

Ali noted that having a larger supply of GLP-1 medications on pharmacy shelves is beneficial to everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are very effective medications as a tool to lose weight,\u201d he said. \u201cAccess is still an issue for these effective medications.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clare Thompson<\/a>, MD, a general practitioner who leads weight management services at the Cadogan Clinic in London, agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneric tirzepatide medications would drastically reduce costs, ease global shortages, and drive wider adoption of dual-agonist therapies (targeting both GLP-1 and GIP receptors), resulting in greater HbA1c reduction and weight loss overall,\u201d she told Healthline.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneric alternatives to Mounjaro would expand access to millions of patients and lift the burden on public health services and private insurance,\u201d Thompson added.<\/p>\n

The newer GLP-1 medications<\/a> basically work by suppressing appetite and managing blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n

Some of the drugs are approved to treat obesity, while others are authorized to treat type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n

Most medications are available as once-weekly injections. However, two daily oral tablet versions have been approved by the FDA this year. They are a pill version of Wegovy<\/a> manufactured by Novo Nordisk and, Foundayo<\/a>, a tablet manufactured by Eli Lilly.<\/p>\n

GLP-1 medications are effective<\/a> in helping people lose weight and manage blood sugar levels. In addition, the drugs have been shown to also improve heart health.<\/p>\n

The medications do have side effects. Some of the common ones are:<\/p>\n

NauseaHeadacheStomach painHeartburnDizzinessMood changes<\/p>\n

Experts say it\u2019s important for people prescribed GLP-1 medications to recognize that the drugs are part of a long-term treatment plan that involves lifestyle factors such as a balanced, healthy diet and regular aerobic and strength exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese medications are designed to treat obesity as a long-term disease,\u201d said Ali.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeight loss is not a quick fix,\u201d added Shafipour. \u201cIt requires behavioral changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shafipour noted lower cost generic GLP-1 medications can help people stick with their weight management plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf generics are affordable, then people can stay on them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dace Trence<\/a>, MD, a professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Washington and the president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, concurs that a chief benefit of generic GLP-1 medications is their cost-effectiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cCost remains the major barrier to access of these drugs, or if started, the ability to continue to use them. We have learned that these drugs must be continued for the person to benefit from them,\u201d Trence told Healthline.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been shown benefit on lowering blood pressure, improving blood cholesterol, often leading to less medication needed for the treatment of these conditions,\u201d she added. \u201cThere has also been impact on decreasing the chance of developing or recurrent cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks or stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestFederal regulators have agreed to review a Swiss pharmaceutical company\u2019s applications for two cheaper generic versions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":784829,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[49,48,277596,84,377,78031],"class_list":["post-784828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-generic-mounjaro","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-zepbound"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=784828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784828\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/784829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=784828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=784828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=784828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}