Ozempic vs Wegovy: 7 Key Differences

Ozempic and Wegovy

In the past few years, weight loss medications have taken the world by storm, with many people pursuing popular medications like Wegovy and Ozempic as magical quick fixes to their weight loss struggles. However, these two medications both have their own unique differences and it’s important to distinguish between the two.

With the hype that surrounds both these medications, it’s important to know what to expect if you plan on taking either of them. Both these medications are relatively new, with Ozempic only being approved by the FDA in 2017 and Wegovy four years later in 2021. With this being the case, there is still plenty of research to be done surrounding these medications, so if you are weighing your options between Ozempic vs Wegovy, you should consider how they are different.

What Are Ozempic & Wegovy?

Ozempic and Wegovy are both popular prescription weight-loss medications that work using a similar mechanism. Both medications contain semaglutide, which supports weight loss efforts by mimicking a hormone in the body called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

Known as a GLP-1 agonist, semaglutide slows stomach emptying, which influences the body to feel less hungry and reduces the amount of food that you eat. By limiting your food intake, semaglutide medications can help you manage your blood sugar and promote weight loss.

Ozempic is intended and FDA-approved solely for managing type 2 diabetes but has become a popular medication for weight loss as well, as healthcare providers popularly prescribe the medication off-label—meaning not for its intended purpose.

Meanwhile, Wegovy is FDA-approved and primarily used for weight management. However, the medication has also been recently approved for heart disease as of March 2024.

The Differences Between Ozempic and Wegovy

With the flood of excitement around weight loss drugs, it’s important to take a step back and make sure you have all the information about them. If you are considering taking a weight loss medication or weighing alternative approaches, it’s helpful to understand the differences between Ozempic and Wegovy. Consider how these medications stack up against each other in all of the following areas.

1. Active Ingredients

Both Ozempic and Wegovy use the active ingredient semaglutide. However, they contain semaglutide in different amounts. The amount of semaglutide in Wegovy tends to be higher than that in Ozempic. 

2. Dosage & Administration

Administration for both medications takes place by an injection pen, which injects the medication under the skin. The two medications differ in how the injection pens work—Wegovy comes in a single-dose prefilled pen that you should throw away after injecting each dose while an Ozempic pen contains multiple doses to be used for multiple administrations.

Either way, in both cases, a healthcare provider will prescribe the smallest dose and gradually increase the dosage over time to allow your body to adjust to the medication.

Typically, the dosages for Ozempic are:

• 0.25 mg
• 0.5 mg
• 1 mg
• 2 mg

Meanwhile, Wegovy comes in five different pre-filled, single-dose syringes. The dosages for Wegovy include:

• 0.25 mg
• 0.5 mg
• 1 mg
• 1.7 mg
• 2.4 mg

Because each pen contains one dose, you’ll need four pens for a month's supply, and healthcare providers recommend a maximum dosage of 2.4 mg once a week.

3. Efficacy & Benefits

Both medications have a track record of success in reducing body fat and controlling blood sugar. However, some people have found that Wegovy appears to be more beneficial for weight loss with a greater impact. It takes considerable time to recognize the full scope of potential benefits of both medications.

In one study, users of Ozempic lost 10 pounds over 30 weeks after taking a 1 mg dose each week. Meanwhile, in a study surrounding Wegovy, over 50% of the users experienced a 15% decrease in body weight in response to a regimen of 2.4 mg weekly for over a year. On average, this amounted to over 33 pounds in a span of 68 weeks. The greater weight loss is likely the result of

Still, it’s important to be mindful of the risks of stopping taking either medication. Many people who stop taking Ozempic or Wegovy regain most of their weight after—this is commonly referred to as the Ozempic Rebound. 

Both Ozempic and Wegovy run the risk of having to take the medication indefinitely in order to sustain results—as a consequence, it’s often worthwhile for people to seek support for other weight loss approaches that encourage sustainability and healthy habit formation.

4. Side Effects

Both Ozempic and Wegovy have several side effects, with slight differences between the two. Still, because they have the same active ingredient, semaglutide, the side effects listed by Ozempic and Wegovy are very similar. 

However, these side effects may differ because of the difference in dosage amounts and the recommended regimen for each. Side effects from Wegovy tend to be slightly more severe, which is likely due to the higher doses associated with the medication. Everyone is different, so these medications may interact differently with each person and lead to different side effects with differing severity.

Ozempic is associated with these side effects:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting
• Constipation

During Ozempic’s clinical trials, nausea was the most common side effect. The website also lists the potential for serious side effects like pancreatitis, changes in vision, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), kidney problems, and gallbladder problems.

Meanwhile, Wegovy makes users aware of even more common side effects. Wegovy lists the following side effects as common side effects on their website:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Stomach pain
• Headache
• Tiredness or fatigue
• Dizziness

The medication manufacturer emphasizes that these are not all the potential side effects of Wegovy. Serious side effects of Wegovy include possible thyroid tumors or cancer, pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, kidney problems, and an increased risk of hypoglycemia in people with type 2 diabetes.

In both medications, the risks of side effects increase when taking them long-term. Regardless of whether you are considering one medication over the other, close supervision from a medical professional will be essential for ensuring your safety and general wellness during your regimen.

5. Ideal Candidates

Despite the similarities between the two medications, there is a slight difference between which individuals are the best fit at first glance. Based on FDA approval, the ideal candidates for Ozempic are individuals with type 2 diabetes and a pattern of high blood sugar. The medication is particularly beneficial for candidates who have a risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Meanwhile, ideal candidates for Wegovy are individuals who have a history of cardiovascular disease or obesity. Wegovy is approved for weight management in some adults and adolescents over the age of 12, in contrast to Ozempic, which is only approved for adults with type 2 diabetes over the age of 18.

Some doctors also set parameters for who is eligible for Wegovy and Ozempic based on body mass index (BMI). For adults, this is a BMI above 27. For adolescents, this is a BMI above the 95% percentile for other adolescents of the same age and sex. However, it’s important to call out that BMI is an outdated measure for health and wellness and doesn’t account for factors like age and unique body composition, highlighting one of the flaws of medication-based weight loss.

6. Cost & Insurance Coverage

Neither Ozempic nor Wegovy are cheap, with the monthly costs of each exceeding hundreds of dollars. It’s important to note that prices can vary widely depending on your dosage, your local pharmacies, and your insurance eligibility.

Because insurance will not cover Ozempic if prescribed for anything other than type 2 diabetes, individuals using Ozempic for their weight loss efforts will be required to pay for the medication out-of-pocket. The monthly cost for Ozempic without insurance can range anywhere from $800 to over $1,000.

Meanwhile, the cost for Wegovy tends to be higher. The monthly cost for Wegovy ranges around $1,350 without insurance. However, because Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight loss, major insurance plans are more likely to cover its use, vastly reducing the out-of-pocket costs, which will vary depending on your employer and your plan. 

Still, Wegovy is relatively new and more research about its effectiveness is needed, so insurance carriers are still slowly getting onboard with covering it.

7. Patient Experiences

The experiences of Wegovy users and Ozempic users vary. The most common patient reviews of Ozempic mention a range of side effects, like nausea, stomach pain, acid reflux, vomiting, and more. These side effects are the most common barrier to people experiencing success on Ozempic. 

However, for people who haven’t had or are able to make it past the side effects, many are satisfied with the results they experienced and find the injections easy to use. Many people do find success in weight loss and blood sugar control over several weeks.

Wegovy reviews are similar, showing a balance between side effects and weight loss success, but it is even easier to find positive reviews of Wegovy compared to Ozempic. Many reviews of Wegovy discuss side effects like nausea and stomach pain. However, there are still many reviews that cover success stories, with some highlighting as much as 45 pounds lost over the course of six months. 

A common denominator between the two is that many patients find that they are unable to maintain their success after they stop taking the medication. After stopping their Ozempic or Wegovy regimen, many patients gain their weight right back. This trend shows that neither medication is a substitute for diet, exercise, and overall healthier habits that you can sustain long-term. 

Consider Weight Loss Without Medications

Although Ozempic and Wegovy are similar medications with the same active ingredient, they have several differences, from their recommended dosages to their monthly costs and overall effectiveness. Which one is best for you between Ozempic vs Wegovy depends on your unique healthcare needs and the personalized advice from your healthcare provider.

At the end of the day, there are several risks to taking weight loss medications, from potentially risky side effects to questionable efficacy. At re:vitalize weight loss and wellness, we offer customized weight loss programs that offer the same results as medication or better without the associated risks.

There are no side effects to healthy eating, and our personalized programs use biometric technology to identify what works for you and your unique wellness needs. Along with the support of our board-certified nutritionists and expert weight loss coaches, we empower you with all the tools to achieve lasting weight loss success. Explore our Weight Loss & Metabolic Reset programs or our Flexible Weight Loss programs to overcome your weight loss challenges once and for all.

Schedule a virtual or in-person consultation with us at re:vitalize to experience lasting weight loss success without medication.