Common Medications Overview

By now you know what GLP-1 medications are and how they work. This page is the practical next step: a clear look at the specific medications out there, what each one does, and what makes them different from each other.

If the names are already blurring together — Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Rybelsus, Saxenda — you’re not the only one. Some of them are the same molecule with different brand names, which doesn’t help. This page is designed as a reference you can come back to whenever you need to sort out which is which.

One thing to keep in mind as you read: this page is about understanding the landscape, not picking a winner. Which medication is right for you depends on your health history, your insurance, what your body tolerates, and what your provider recommends. None of that is something a guide can decide for you — but knowing what’s out there makes you a much better-informed part of that conversation.

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The Semaglutide Family

Semaglutide is the name you’ve probably heard the most — it’s the molecule behind Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. It works by mimicking your body’s natural GLP-1 hormone (the one we talked about in the last section). What makes it a little confusing is that the same molecule shows up under several different brand names, each approved for different purposes and delivered in different ways.[1]

Ozempic (injection — Type 2 Diabetes)

Ozempic is a once-weekly injection of semaglutide, FDA-approved for adults with Type 2 diabetes. It helps manage blood sugar, and it’s also approved to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) in adults with Type 2 diabetes and established heart disease.[2]

In January 2025, Ozempic became the first GLP-1 medication approved for reducing the risk of kidney disease progression in adults with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease — a significant expansion of what these medications are recognized for beyond blood sugar and weight.[3]

Dosing: Starts at 0.25 mg weekly, with increases over time up to a maximum of 2 mg weekly.

You’ll notice Ozempic is not approved for weight management. That’s Wegovy’s role (same molecule, different dose and indication). But in practice, many providers prescribe Ozempic off-label for weight loss — which, as we covered earlier, is completely legal and common in medicine. The distinction is primarily about FDA labeling and insurance coverage, not about whether the medication works for weight loss.

Wegovy (injection — Weight Management)

Wegovy is the weight management version of semaglutide. Same molecule as Ozempic, but at a higher dose (up to 2.4 mg weekly) and FDA-approved specifically for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related health condition. It’s also approved for adolescents aged 12 and older with obesity.[4]

The clinical trial results for Wegovy are what put GLP-1 medications in the headlines. In the STEP 1 trial, adults without Type 2 diabetes lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks — compared to 2.4% in the placebo group. Longer-term data from STEP 5 showed that weight loss of about 15% was sustained at two years.[5]

Beyond weight, the SELECT trial demonstrated that Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with established heart disease and obesity or overweight — effects that appear to go beyond what weight loss alone would explain.[6]

In August 2025, Wegovy also received approval for treating a serious liver condition called MASH — metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, if you want the full name. It’s essentially fatty liver disease that has progressed to inflammation and scarring, and it’s closely tied to obesity. This approval was a big deal because it showed GLP-1 medications helping an organ that has nothing to do with appetite.[7]

Dosing: Starts at 0.25 mg weekly and increases over about 16-20 weeks to a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg weekly.

Wegovy Pill (oral — Weight Management)

In December 2025, the FDA approved the first oral GLP-1 medication for weight management — an oral form of semaglutide at a higher dose (25 mg daily) than the diabetes pill Rybelsus. This was a major milestone because it gave people a non-injection option for GLP-1 weight management for the first time.[8]

In the OASIS 4 trial, people taking the Wegovy pill lost an average of 16.6% of their body weight over 64 weeks, with about one in three achieving 20% or more weight loss — results comparable to the injectable version.[9]

Dosing: One pill daily, taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water, then waiting 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything else. Dose escalation goes from 1.5 mg daily up to 25 mg daily over about 12 weeks.

The daily dosing schedule and the 30-minute fasting requirement are trade-offs compared to a once-weekly injection. Some people will strongly prefer swallowing a pill over injecting. Others may find the daily routine harder to maintain. It comes down to what works for your life.

Rybelsus (oral — Type 2 Diabetes)

Rybelsus is the oral version of semaglutide for Type 2 diabetes — a daily pill available at lower doses (up to 14 mg) than the Wegovy pill. It has the same 30-minute fasting requirement. In October 2025, Rybelsus also received approval for cardiovascular risk reduction in adults with Type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk.[10]

Dosing: Starts at 3 mg daily, increasing to 7 mg and then 14 mg daily.

Rybelsus isn’t approved for weight management, but some weight loss does occur. For people with Type 2 diabetes who don’t want injections, it’s a solid option — though the weight loss tends to be more modest than what you’d see with the higher-dose injectable or oral weight management formulations.

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The Tirzepatide Family

Tirzepatide is different from the medications above in one important way: instead of targeting just one hormone pathway, it targets two. Semaglutide activates only your GLP-1 receptors — tirzepatide activates both GLP-1 and a second gut hormone called GIP (we’ll spare you the full name — it’s glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). Both hormones are part of the same post-meal signaling system, and activating both together appears to produce stronger effects on both blood sugar and weight than targeting GLP-1 alone. You’ll sometimes hear tirzepatide called a “dual agonist” — that’s all that means.[11]

Mounjaro (injection — Type 2 Diabetes)

Mounjaro is tirzepatide’s brand name for Type 2 diabetes management. Once-weekly injection, FDA-approved for improving blood sugar control in adults with Type 2 diabetes and in adolescents aged 10 and older.[12]

Dosing: Starts at 2.5 mg weekly and can increase in 2.5 mg steps (5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg) up to a maximum of 15 mg weekly.

Like the Ozempic/Wegovy situation, Mounjaro is sometimes prescribed off-label for weight management, though its weight-approved counterpart is Zepbound.

Zepbound (injection — Weight Management)

Zepbound is the weight management version of tirzepatide. Same molecule as Mounjaro, FDA-approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight plus at least one weight-related health condition.[13]

The clinical trial results for tirzepatide are striking. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, people on the highest dose (15 mg) lost an average of 22.5% of their body weight over 72 weeks.[14]

More notably, the SURMOUNT-5 trial was the first head-to-head comparison between tirzepatide and semaglutide — the only direct randomized trial comparing the two most popular weight management medications. At 72 weeks, tirzepatide achieved 20.2% mean weight loss compared to 13.7% for semaglutide 2.4 mg. About 32% of tirzepatide patients lost 25% or more of their body weight, compared to 16% on semaglutide.[15]

In December 2024, Zepbound also became the first medication ever approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.[16]

Dosing: Same schedule as Mounjaro — starts at 2.5 mg weekly, increases in 2.5 mg steps up to 15 mg.

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Older Generation GLP-1 Medications

Liraglutide (Saxenda and Victoza)

Liraglutide was one of the first GLP-1 medications widely used. It comes in two versions: Victoza for Type 2 diabetes and Saxenda for weight management. Unlike the newer weekly medications, liraglutide requires a daily injection.[17]

The weight loss results are more modest than the newer options — the SCALE trial showed about 7.5% mean weight loss with Saxenda, compared to the 15-22% range seen with semaglutide and tirzepatide.[18]

So why does it still matter? A few reasons:

Dosing (Saxenda): Starts at 0.6 mg daily, increasing by 0.6 mg each week up to 3.0 mg daily. Dosing (Victoza): Starts at 0.6 mg daily, increasing to 1.2 mg or 1.8 mg daily.

Dulaglutide (Trulicity)

Trulicity is a once-weekly injectable GLP-1 medication approved only for Type 2 diabetes — it does not have a weight management indication. It’s included here because it’s one of the most widely prescribed GLP-1 medications for diabetes, and some weight loss does occur as a secondary benefit (though more modest than what you’d see with the weight-approved options).[19]

Trulicity has strong cardiovascular evidence — the REWIND trial showed a 12% reduction in major cardiovascular events, including in patients who didn’t yet have established heart disease. That broader cardiovascular indication was a first for the class.[20]

From my experience, Trulicity is worth knowing about because it comes up in conversations. If someone tells you they’re on a GLP-1 for their diabetes, there’s a good chance it’s Trulicity. And if someone starts on Trulicity for diabetes management and later wants to pursue more aggressive weight management, their provider might consider transitioning them to a weight-approved medication like Wegovy or Zepbound.

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A Word About Compounded GLP-1 Medications

If you’ve been following GLP-1 news — or if you’ve been getting your medication from a compounding pharmacy — this section is important.

During the medication shortages of 2023-2024, compounding pharmacies stepped in to produce copies of semaglutide and tirzepatide. Under federal law, pharmacies can compound copies of FDA-approved drugs when those drugs are in shortage — and the massive demand for GLP-1 medications created genuine shortages. The result was a large market of lower-cost compounded GLP-1s, often available through telehealth platforms at a fraction of the brand-name price.

That landscape has changed significantly.

The FDA removed tirzepatide from the drug shortage list in October 2024 and semaglutide in February 2025. Once the shortages were officially resolved, the legal basis for most compounding evaporated. Compounded tirzepatide can no longer be legally produced in most circumstances as of early 2025. Compounded semaglutide followed shortly after, with the FDA’s enforcement deadlines closing in April-May 2025.[21]

This matters because a lot of people relied on compounded versions. If you were one of them, the transition to FDA-approved products means navigating new prescriptions, insurance coverage, and potentially higher costs. Talk to your provider about your options — including whether generic liraglutide (now available) might be an affordable alternative while you sort out coverage for the newer medications.

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Quick Reference Table

This table reflects FDA-approved indications as of early 2026. Approval status evolves — your provider will have the most current information.

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How to Think About This

If you’re looking at this page thinking “okay, but which one is best?” — that’s the wrong question. The right question is “which one is right for me?” And that depends on things this page can’t answer: your medical history, your insurance coverage, what’s available, what your body tolerates, and what your provider recommends based on the full picture.

What this page can do is help you understand the landscape. When your provider says “I’m recommending tirzepatide,” you now know what that means and how it differs from semaglutide. When someone in an online group mentions switching from Ozempic to Zepbound, you understand why that’s a bigger change than it sounds. When a headline mentions the Wegovy pill, you know what it is and where it fits.

That context makes you a better-informed patient. And better-informed patients have better conversations with their providers.

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