Ozempic Makes Billions. Its Canadian Patent Fee Was $450.

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Novo Nordisk's core semaglutide patent in Canada is gone. Not beaten in court: it lapsed after the 2019 renewal fee, CA$250 or CA$450 with the late fee, went unpaid. Novo told Fortune there was no mistake and that its IP decisions are "carefully considered at a global level." The patent would have expired in March 2026 anyway, but it took a two-year extension certificate (to March 2028) down with it. In April 2026, Canada became the first G7 country to approve a generic semaglutide. In the U.S., the core patent runs to December 2031. A patent isn't something you own once. You rent it. A Paper Trail story from Invent Anything. Patents shown: CA 2,601,784 (data retypeset from the Canadian Patents Database) · US 8,129,343 (claim 1 structure, term extension certificate) Sources - Canadian Patents Database, CA 2,601,784 status and fee history (retrieved Oct. 2, 2026): https://brevets-patents.ic.gc.ca/opic-cipo/cpd/eng/patent/2601784/summary.html - Health Canada, Register of Certificates of Supplementary Protection (Sept. 22, 2026 edition): https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/documents/services/drugs-health-products/applications-submissions/guidance-documents/register-certificates/reg-cert-sup-eng.pdf - Fortune, "Novo Nordisk is losing Canadian patent protection on a blockbuster drug after not paying a small fee" (June 17, 2025): https://fortune.com/2025/06/17/novo-nordisk-ozempic-wegovy-semaglutide-canada-patent-protection-fee/ - Health Canada, first G7 approvals of generic semaglutide (May 1, 2026): https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/05/canada-approves-second-generic-semaglutide-the-first-g7-country-to-do-so.html - Health Canada, first generic semaglutide for weight management (June 29, 2026): https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/06/canada-approves-first-generic-semaglutide-for-weight-loss.html - Sandoz Canada, approval of Sandoz Semaglutide (Sept. 18, 2026): https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/sandoz-canada-receives-health-canada-114300074.html - The Globe and Mail, wholesale prices and Novo's discount cards (May 26, 2026): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-ozempic-price-brand-name-drug-generic-semaglutide-weight-loss/ - Reddie & Grose, on the supplementary protection certificate (Oct. 15, 2025): https://www.reddie.co.uk/2025/10/15/a-key-ozempic-patent-lapses-in-canada-deliberate-or-a-mistake/ - US 8,129,343 (USPTO): https://patents.google.com/patent/US8129343B2/en · FDA Orange Book (expiry Dec. 5, 2031): https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases/approved-drug-products-therapeutic-equivalence-evaluations-orange-book - China CN101133082B (expired Mar. 20, 2026): https://patents.google.com/patent/CN101133082B/en Credits Patent claim structure and certificates: USPTO. Canadian patent and register data retypeset from public records. Illustrations, music and sound design: original. Ozempic and Wegovy are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Not affiliated with Novo Nordisk, Sandoz, Apotex or Dr. Reddy's. Not medical, pricing or legal advice. Strategy education from ipCapital Group. Strategy education, not legal advice. ipCapital Group. #Ozempic #Patents #Semaglutide #IntellectualProperty #Canada