Same molecules, different brand names
The same two molecules are sold under different brand names depending on the approved use.
| Brand | Molecule | Approved use | Form & frequency | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | Semaglutide | Type 2 diabetes | Weekly injection | Novo Nordisk |
| Wegovy (injection) | Semaglutide | Weight management | Weekly injection | Novo Nordisk |
| Wegovy pill | Semaglutide | Weight management | Daily pill | Novo Nordisk |
| Mounjaro | Tirzepatide | Type 2 diabetes | Weekly injection | Eli Lilly |
| Zepbound | Tirzepatide | Weight management | Weekly injection | Eli Lilly |
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The big picture: how medications, diet, exercise and supplements compare
Comparison of weight loss approaches by average weight loss, monthly cost, effort, and whether a doctor is required. Prescription Medications: 7–21% body weight, $30–$1,349/mo, Weekly injection or daily pill, doctor required; Diet Changes: 5–10% body weight, Free, Daily commitment, no doctor needed; Exercise: 1–3% alone (more combined), Free, 150+ min/week, no doctor needed; Supplements: 0.5–2 kg typical, $10–$50/mo, Daily capsule, no doctor needed; Body After Weight Loss: not a weight loss treatment, Varies, Procedure-based, doctor required.
Approved medications compared
Scroll horizontally to compare all 8 options. Figures from pivotal clinical trials.
| Medicine | Zepboundtirzepatide | Wegovy inj.semaglutide | Wegovy pilloral semaglutide | Foundayoorforglipron | Saxendaliraglutide | Qsymiaphent. / top. | Contravenaltrex. / buprop. | Alli / Xenicalorlistat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Known for | Up to 20.9% weight loss in its own trial | Proven heart benefits | Daily pill, proven heart benefits | Pill — take anytime, no food rules | 10+ years of safety data | Generic available from ~$30–$80/mo | Helps quiet food cravings | No prescription needed (OTC) |
| Weight loss (trial avg) | Up to 20.9% | Up to 14.9% | Up to 16.6% | Up to 12.4% | Up to 8% | Up to 9.8% | Up to 9.3% | Up to 8.5% |
| Real-world example | ~46 lbs (220 lb person) | ~33 lbs | ~37 lbs | ~27 lbs | ~18 lbs | ~22 lbs | ~20 lbs | ~19 lbs |
| How you take it | Weekly injection | Weekly injection | Daily pill | Daily pill | Daily injection | Daily capsule | Twice-daily tablet | 3× daily with meals |
| Approx. cost/month | $299–$449/mosavings price | $349–$399/mosavings price | $149–$299/mo | $149–$349/mo | $1,000–$1,349/mo | $30–$400/mogeneric price | $100–$400/mo | $40–$400/moOTC price |
| Quit due to side effects | ~6% | ~7% | ~6.9% | ~8% | ~9% | ~13% | ~9% | ~12% |
| Prescription needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rx / OTC |
| FDA approved | 2023 | 2021 | 2025 | 2026 | 2014 | 2012 | 2014 | 1999 / 2007 OTC |
| Detail page | Read more → | Read more → | Read more → | Read more → | Read more → | Read more → | Read more → | Read more → |
What matters when choosing: weight loss, heart benefits, cost, convenience, side effects, food and hunger
People tend to weigh these factors differently — there is no single right answer.
Weight loss
Ranges from ~7% to ~21% depending on treatment
Heart benefits
Some drugs have proven heart benefit
Cost
From ~$30/mo (generic pill) to ~$1,349/mo (Saxenda, self-pay)
Convenience
Daily pill, weekly injection, or with-meal timing
Side effects
Nausea is common early on — severity and duration vary
Food & hunger
How much hunger and food noise affects your daily life
Head-to-head comparisons
Quick comparisons: tirzepatide vs orforglipron, and tirzepatide vs oral semaglutide
Tirzepatide vs Orforglipron
Injection vs pill (both Eli Lilly)Key trade-off: Tirzepatide is a dual agonist (GIP + GLP-1) that showed up to 20.9% weight loss in its own trial, but requires weekly injections and self-pay runs higher outside the entry tier (list price without the savings programme is ~$1,086/mo). Orforglipron is a convenient daily pill with much lower cost, but showed 12.4% weight loss in its own trial with a single-pathway (GLP-1 only) mechanism.
Full comparison →Tirzepatide Injection vs Oral Semaglutide
Injection vs pillKey trade-off: Tirzepatide produces ~4 percentage points more weight loss through a dual-hormone mechanism but requires weekly injection and typically costs about twice as much self-pay at the entry dose. Oral semaglutide has proven heart protection and is dramatically cheaper (from $149/mo), but needs a 30-minute daily fast. Many people start with the pill and switch to the injection after 3–6 months.
Full comparison →All figures from separate clinical trials at maximum approved dose. No head-to-head trials exist between these pairs. Individual results vary.
Every pairing: all 21 drug pairs, 22 comparison pages
Three pairings have a second, written comparison. Figures on each page are read from the same trial records used across this site.
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