The makers of Ozempic have said that their weight loss drug Wegovy will be available for patients in Canada starting Monday.

Weekly injections of Novo Nordisk for weight loss have been approved for patients diagnosed with obesity.

Wegovy can also be prescribed to patients who are significantly overweight and have at least one related medical condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or obstructive sleep apnea.

Dr. Sanjeev Sookalingham from Obesity Canada stated that obesity is a serious medical condition and that Wegovy is an important treatment option, emphasizing that it is not intended for "cosmetic" use.

Wegovy contains the same medication - semaglutide - as the diabetes drug Ozempic but at a higher dose.

Sookalingham, who is the scientific director of Obesity Canada, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with obesity, said: "(Wegovy) adds to the toolkit and resource for all doctors assessing many patients with obesity."

He added, "It is meant to be used in conjunction with physical activity and nutrition."

Sookalingham stated that Obesity Canada will update its prescribing guidelines to include Wegovy.

Health Canada approved Wegovy in November 2021 based on studies that "showed a statistically significantly greater amount of weight loss in (patients) treated with semaglutide compared to subjects treated with placebo," according to the federal government’s website.

Doctors can prescribe it for patients with obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kilograms per square meter or more.

They can also prescribe Wegovy for patients who are overweight with a BMI of 27 kg per square meter if they also have at least one related medical condition. This can include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia (abnormalities in fats such as cholesterol or triglycerides), and obstructive sleep apnea.

Wegovy arrives after extensive marketing of Ozempic and increased demand on social media beyond the drug's labeling for weight loss. Experts say it is crucial for prescribers, including family doctors, to ensure that Wegovy is given only to patients who meet specific criteria.

Dr. Ehud Or, an endocrinologist in Vancouver, said: "Doctors are ultimately the gatekeepers, and we hope for responsible prescribing of medications."

Sookalingham emphasized that when it comes to prescribing Wegovy, "we want to make sure that we are very precise and that we are not talking about ... cosmetic or physical appearance."

"This is a medical treatment for a medical condition."