Updated: October 2026
In short: Wegovy and Ozempic both contain semaglutide; Mounjaro contains tirzepatide. Wegovy and Mounjaro are approved in the EU for weight management, Ozempic for type 2 diabetes. In studies, average weight loss was around 15 percent for Wegovy (68 weeks) and between 15 and 21 percent for Mounjaro depending on the dose (72 weeks). Which product suits you is decided only by your doctor. As of: October 2026.
Three names, two active ingredients, different approvals: the overview helps you tell the products apart. It doesn't replace advice. You'll find the basics of how they work in the article Weight-Loss Injections: Effects and Side Effects.
What's the difference between Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro?
Wegovy and Ozempic contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, but under different approvals and dosages. Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, which according to the EMA acts on both the GLP-1 and the GIP receptor at once. All three are injected once a week under the skin and are prescription-only.
| Criterion | Wegovy | Ozempic | Mounjaro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Semaglutide | Semaglutide | Tirzepatide |
| EU approval since | 6 January 2022 | 8 February 2018 | 15 September 2022 |
| Approved for | Weight management (BMI from 30, or from 27 with accompanying condition); adolescents from 12 years with obesity | Type 2 diabetes (adults); weight loss not approved | Type 2 diabetes and weight management (BMI from 30, or from 27 with accompanying condition) |
| Use according to prescribing information | 1 x per week, start 0.25 mg, dose escalation over 16 weeks to 2.4 mg | 1 x per week, start 0.25 mg, after 4 weeks 0.5 mg | 1 x per week, start 2.5 mg, after 4 weeks 5 mg; maintenance dose 5, 10 or 15 mg |
| Average weight loss in studies | 14.9% after 68 weeks (STEP 1, placebo 2.4%) | no study on weight management in this overview | 15.0% to 20.9% after 72 weeks (SURMOUNT-1, placebo 3.1%) |
| Costs, insurance | Self-payers; according to IKK classic about 170 to 300 euros per month (as of 11.9.2026, checked October 2026); statutory insurance doesn't pay | Statutory insurance for type 2 diabetes; not covered for weight loss | Statutory insurance for type 2 diabetes; not covered for weight loss; price not given here, no verified source |
The information on use comes from the prescribing information and the EMA. It is not a dosing recommendation for you.
Which weight-loss injection works more strongly?
In the approval studies, tirzepatide (Mounjaro) averaged higher than semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy). The studies can't be compared one to one, though: STEP 1 lasted 68 weeks with 1,961 participants, SURMOUNT-1 lasted 72 weeks with 2,539 participants, with different dose levels and different starting conditions.
A direct comparison comes from the SURMOUNT-5 study. A verified partial analysis shows, in participants with obesity by Japanese criteria, an average weight loss after 72 weeks of 20.1 percent on tirzepatide and 12.9 percent on semaglutide (difference 7.2 percentage points, 383 participants). That's a subgroup analysis, not a statement about every person.
Important for context: more weight loss doesn't automatically mean better for you. Tolerability, pre-existing conditions, availability and costs play a part. The Hamburg consumer advice centre also stresses that it's unclear whether people with only slight overweight benefit equally.
Can Ozempic be used for weight loss?
According to the EMA, Ozempic is approved only for adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes. Weight loss is described there as an accompanying, favourable effect, not as an indication. If Ozempic is prescribed only for losing weight, that's called off-label use.
Background: because Ozempic was temporarily in short supply, the BfArM recommended in 2023 not to prescribe it outside its approval, so that people with diabetes stayed supplied. According to apotheke adhoc, those recommendations have since been lifted. For people who want to reduce their weight, Wegovy is the semaglutide product with an approved weight indication.
Do the three injections have different side effects?
The profile is similar. For Wegovy, the prescribing information lists nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain and vomiting as the most common complaints, especially during dose escalation. The EMA describes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea as the most common side effects for Mounjaro. For Ozempic, the EMA lists diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea as very common.
In SURMOUNT-1, treatment was discontinued in the tirzepatide group by 4.3 to 7.1 percent depending on dose. For women of childbearing age, the Mounjaro prescribing information also states that contraception is recommended. The same applies to Wegovy, and it must not be used during pregnancy.
Who gets which product?
Your doctor makes the decision. Roughly speaking: in type 2 diabetes, Ozempic or Mounjaro are prescribed to lower blood sugar and are then covered by insurance. For pure weight management, Wegovy or Mounjaro come into question if the BMI criteria from the approval are met. Here, statutory insurers don't pay, because the G-BA has placed both products in Annex II (lifestyle medicines) of the Medicines Directive. Details on prescription and price are in the article Wegovy Costs.
What speaks against it is set out in the prescribing information: pregnancy, breastfeeding, severe kidney or liver impairment and a number of other points. You should also mention the injection in conversation before an anaesthetic.
Is Wegovy also available as a tablet?
Yes. The EMA now describes Wegovy as a pre-filled pen for injection and as tablets to take by mouth. The prescribing information also describes the switch to the injection for patients treated with oral semaglutide 25 mg once daily. Separate from this is Rybelsus, a semaglutide tablet for type 2 diabetes, for which weight loss is not an approved indication according to the EMA. More on this in the article Weight-Loss Pills: What Really Works.
How does use differ in everyday life?
The practical rules are in the respective prescribing information. Wegovy is injected once a week at any time, independent of meals. The day of the week may be changed as long as more than 72 hours lie between two doses. If a dose was missed, according to the prescribing information it should be made up within 5 days, otherwise it is skipped.
Mounjaro also follows a weekly rhythm, and there too the day of the week can be changed if the interval is at least 3 days. A missed dose is made up within 4 days, after that it is skipped. Both products are injected into the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
These notes don't replace the instruction at the practice or pharmacy and the package leaflet. If you have questions about handling or several missed doses, please contact your doctor, because with Wegovy, the prescribing information provides, after several missed doses, for considering a lower starting dose for restarting. That decision belongs in a doctor's hands.
Which questions should you ask before deciding?
A checklist for the doctor's appointment helps you not to forget anything. Ask about the benefit compared with your starting weight and your accompanying conditions. Ask about interactions with your medication and about planned procedures with anaesthesia. Clarify how long treatment is planned and what monitoring looks like. Also discuss wanting a baby, pregnancy and breastfeeding, because the prescribing information makes clear requirements here.
The cost side belongs too: if insurance doesn't pay, you budget the monthly costs yourself. And one point is often forgotten: the plan for the time afterwards. In the extension of the STEP 1 trial, participants regained about two thirds of the weight loss after stopping. If you change eating habits and exercise from the start, you create the best foundation.
What goes with every weight-loss injection?
All approved weight indications list the injection as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and more exercise. The article Nutrition on Weight-Loss Injections shows what matters when eating, and Stopping Weight-Loss Injections explains what happens after treatment ends.
Pairs well with frank.
If you want to eat more mindfully regardless of the product, you'll find our Soups as a simple meal for in between. That's a food, not a treatment and not a replacement for medication.
You might also like
- Losing Weight Healthily: Nutrition, Tips & Recipes
- How Many Calories Do You Need Per Day to Lose Weight Healthily?
- Weight-Loss Injections: Effects, Side Effects and Use
Frequently asked questions about Wegovy, Ozempic or Mounjaro
Is Wegovy the same as Ozempic?
Both contain semaglutide. Wegovy is approved for weight management, Ozempic for type 2 diabetes. Dosages and approvals differ.
Is Mounjaro better than Wegovy?
In the studies, average weight loss was higher with tirzepatide. Which product suits you better depends on tolerability, pre-existing conditions and availability, and is decided by a doctor.
Which injection is approved for weight loss?
Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are approved in the EU for weight management. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes.
Does insurance pay for any of these injections?
Only for type 2 diabetes (Ozempic, Mounjaro). For weight loss, weight-loss agents are excluded from statutory coverage under § 34 SGB V.
How often are the injections used?
All three once a week under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. Your doctor sets the dose.
What does Mounjaro cost?
We give no price for Mounjaro, because we haven't opened a verified source for it. Ask at the pharmacy for the current amount.
Note: This article is for general information and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You make decisions about medication, dosage or stopping together with your doctor. If you have symptoms or pre-existing conditions, are pregnant or take medication, please speak to them first.
