What’s the difference between Wegovy and Mounjaro?
With more GLP-1 medications on the market, they may start to seem interchangeable. But there are some big differences in how they work — and the results you get.
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While they’ve been around for over a decade, the growth of GLP-1s has mushroomed recently. And though they may look identical at first glance — liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide — each ‘tide has its own truth and benefit. Take Wegovy vs. Mounjaro, for example. Are both GLP-1s? Yes. Are there some pretty major differences between them? Absolutely.
While your provider or virtual weight-loss clinic will ultimately guide you to the best GLP-1 for you, knowledge is power. So, with that, here’s what you need to know about Wegovy vs. Mounjaro.
Wegovy is a brand name of the GLP-1 semaglutide that’s FDA-approved for weight loss. This drug is also prescribed under the brand name Ozempic, which is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes.
Semaglutide mimics GLP-1, a hormone naturally produced by your body that helps manage your appetite, induces feelings of fullness, and slows the rate of gastric emptying. “GLP-1 has powerful appetite suppressant effects in the brain — enough to cause significant weight loss,” says Dr. Charlie Seltzer, M.D., an obesity specialist based in Philadelphia.
Mounjaro is also a GLP-1, a brand name for the drug tirzepatide that’s FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Zepbound is the brand name for the drug tirzepatide that’s FDA-approved for weight loss.
Unlike Wegovy for weight loss, Mounjaro’s GLP-1 is paired with a GIP, short for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, which is another naturally occurring hormone that is produced in the gut. That combo gives Mounjaro a bit of a boost. “It helps to increase insulin to manage blood sugar and amplifies appetite suppressing effects when used in combination with GLP-1,” says Dr. Robert Kushner, M.D., professor of medicine and medical education at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
Right now, there are no generic versions of either Wegovy or Mounjaro. This can contribute to their relatively high price tag (generics often are sold at much lower prices than brand name versions of drugs).
The biggest differences between Wegovy and Mounjaro — beyond their FDA-approved uses and active ingredients — is that Mounjaro has GIP in addition to GLP-1.
“We know that the GIP makes the GLP-1 work better,” says Seltzer, for instance, by suppressing your appetite more than GLP-1 alone. In addition to that, GIP has its own functions in the body: “The GIP targets white adipose tissue, which is an inflammatory type of fat,” says Dr. Holly Lofton, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the director of the medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone Health in New York City. This can improve the function of white adipose tissue, which ultimately helps with triglyceride levels and blood sugar.