Wegovy vs. Ozempic: Which Is Better?

Wegovy™ and Ozempic® are both GLP-1 medications that include the drug semaglutide. They work by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1). When you eat, GLP-1 triggers your body to produce insulin to lower your blood sugar and sends signals to your brain that you’re full.

But when it comes to Wegovy vs. Ozempic, is one better than the other?

Endocrine clinical pharmacist Diana Isaacs, PharmD, explains how both work.

Wegovy vs. Ozempic

You’ll need a prescription to take either Wegovy or Ozempic, and both have the active ingredient semaglutide. But they have different approved uses. Here’s a look at how they differ.

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Difference in uses

Wegovy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for:

• Weight management in adults and children 12 years or older
• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) treatment in adults with moderate or advanced liver fibrosis
• Cardiovascular risk reduction in adults with obesity or overweight and heart disease

Ozempic is approved by the FDA for:

• Managing Type 2 diabetes
• Improving kidney and cardiovascular health in adults with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease
• Reducing cardiovascular risk in adults with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease

Wegovy is available at a higher dose than Ozempic, with the maximum recommended dosage for Wegovy at 2.4 mg and Ozempic at 2 mg.

When it comes to how they’re taken, there are some similarities:

• Increasing dosage: If you take either medication, your healthcare provider may slowly increase your dosage over time.
• Often taken as an injectable: Both medications are available as a weekly injectable medication. Wegovy comes as a single-use injection pen and Ozempic is a multi-use injection pen.
• Also come in pill form: Wegovy and Ozempic are both also available as a daily pill. But Dr. Isaacs warns, “When it comes to the pill form of semaglutide, it can be challenging because the oral absorption isn’t very good compared to the injectable.”

Wegovy vs. Ozempic for weight loss

Some people use Ozempic and experience weight loss as a side effect. But Wegovy is the only semaglutide approved by the FDA for weight loss — and it comes in a higher dose compared to Ozempic.

Research shows that Wegovy may be the better choice for weight loss because it goes up to 2.4 mg weekly as an injectable and up to 25 mg as a pill.

“In clinical trials, people with Type 2 diabetes lost less weight than people without diabetes, but that’s likely related to other factors,” Dr. Isaacs notes. “The semaglutide is the same active ingredient in both forms.”

Wegovy vs. Ozempic side effects

Semaglutide comes with common digestive side effects like:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Heartburn

Other side effects may include fatigue, headaches and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) if semaglutide is combined with other drugs that lower blood sugar, like insulin.

Dr. Isaacs says you’re likely to experience more side effects while on higher doses of semaglutide.

“Anytime you have a higher dose of a medication, more side effects are likely,” she explains. “But that doesn’t mean everyone on a higher dose is going to have more side effects.”

She recommends slowly increasing your dosage, which gives your body time to adjust and typically reduces side effects.

While most people can safely take Wegovy or Ozempic, you should avoid these medications if you have severe gastroparesis (stomach paralysis). You should also avoid semaglutide if you’re pregnant.

It’s important to note that semaglutide has a boxed warning from the FDA (the strongest safety warning for prescription drugs) about the risk of developing thyroid C-cell tumors, especially if you have a personal or family history of this type of cancer.

Which is the right choice for you?

A healthcare provider can help you determine which option is best for you by considering factors like your medical history, potential cost and insurance coverage.

And Dr. Isaacs says to be careful about using compounded medications — and microdosing GLP-1s.

“There’s no regulation around compounded versions of semaglutide, so you don’t know if you’re getting the right potency of the medication or not,” she cautions. “You could end up getting very little, or you could end up getting too much. And the medication could be mixed with other substances that could cause additional side effects.”

Having a conversation with a doctor can also help you learn more about the benefits and risks of taking a GLP-1 like semaglutide. Discuss certain lifestyle changes, like healthy eating and physical activity, which you may need to make in partnership with taking Wegovy or Ozempic.

“Semaglutides should be coupled with positive lifestyle changes,” Dr. Isaacs stresses. “They aren’t meant to replace healthy habits.”