STEP 4, a withdrawal study, demonstrated that weight regained after stopping semaglutide, reinforcing that the drug works best as an ongoing intervention rather than a short course
"Ozempic is indicated for people with a BMI over 27 if they have weight-related complications like high blood pressure, or a BMI over 30 if they are otherwise healthy," says Jennifer Brown, MD, a dual board-certified physician in family medicine and obesity medicine
The protocol design, with its four-week intervals between escalations, intentionally allows time for this adaptation
Broussenko emphasized how generic drug pricing in Canada is governed by an agreement that indexes the cost as a percentage of the brand-name price, and once generics hit the market, manufacturers typically match through patient support programs to discourage switching