For people looking to treat and manage their type 2 diabetes, or for those looking to accelerate weight loss that is associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), or high cholesterol, the use of prescription medication is a viable treatment strategy.
For this purpose, healthcare professionals may recommend Wegovy (semaglutide) or Ozempic (semaglutide). Both contain the same active ingredient: a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. However, the two brand-name products have different uses.
While you may have heard of these drugs before or know someone prescribed Wegovy or Ozempic, you likely have questions or concerns over which drug best suits your or a loved one's needs.
To address these questions, this article will highlight the similarities and differences between Wegovy and Ozempic, including their approved indications (conditions for which a drug can be used) and off-label uses.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Wegovyvs.Ozempic-19bbd1a6569d4fef87e77a8fa2cad351.jpg "Wegovy vs. Ozempic: How Are They Different? (1)")
Wegovy vs. Ozempic: How Are They Different?
Ozempic and Wegovy have key differences and several similarities. They differ mainly in their FDA-approved indications and typical dosages.
Uses
Ozempic is FDA-approved for the following uses:
- To control blood sugar levels in adults withtype 2 diabetes, along with diet and exercise
- To reduce the risk of severe health problems, such asheart attackandstroke, in adults with both type 2 diabetes andheart disease
Wegovy is approved for chronic (long-term) weight management in certain people, including:
- Adults with an initialbody mass index (BMI)of 30 or greater
- Adults with an initial BMI of 27 or greater who have been diagnosed with at least one weight-related health condition, such ashigh blood pressure,type 2 diabetes, orhigh cholesterol
- Children 12 and older with a BMI in the 95thpercentile or higher for their age
Additionally, Wegovy is FDA-approved to reduce the risk of serious heart problems in adults with obesity or who are overweight and for weight loss.
Unlike Wegovy, Ozempic does not have any specific BMI requirements. Ozempic is not approved for use in children.
BMIis a dated, flawed measure. It does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Even though it is a biased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
Medicare Coverage for Off-Label Ozempic to Lose Weight
Administration and Dosage
Both Wegovy and Ozempic are once-weekly subcutaneous injections (injections given under the skin), but Wegovy has a higher maximum dosage than Ozempic.
You or a caregiver will inject it under the skin of your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Wegovy and Ozempic can be given any time on the same day of the week, such as every Sunday.
| Wegovy (for adults and children) | Ozempic (for adults only) | |
| Starting Dose | 0.25 mg once weekly for four weeks | 0.25 mg once weekly for four weeks |
| Target Dose | 2.4 mg once weekly for adults; 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly for children | 0.5 mg to 2 mg once weekly |
| Maximum Dose | 2.4 mg once weekly | 2 mg once weekly |
Wegovy’s starting dose in adults is 0.25 milligrams (mg) once weekly for four weeks. Your healthcare provider will increase your dose every four weeks until you reach the target dose of 2.4 milligrams once weekly.
Wegovy’s starting dose in children is 0.25 milligrams once weekly for four weeks. Your child’s healthcare provider will increase the dose every four weeks until the target dose of 1.7 or 2.4 milligrams once weekly is reached.
Ozempic’s starting dose is 0.25 milligrams once weekly for four weeks. Then your healthcare provider will raise your dosage to 0.5 milligrams once weekly.
If yourblood sugarlevels are still too high at the 0.5 milligrams dose, your healthcare provider may increase your dose to 1 or 2 milligrams once weekly. The maximum amount of Ozempic is 2 milligrams.
How to Store Wegovy and Ozempic
Store Wegovy in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Once you remove it from the fridge, Wegovy stays good at room temperature for 28 days (four weeks).
Ozempic is also kept in the refrigerator. Once you remove it from the fridge and it reaches room temperature, any unused drugexpiresafter 56 days (eight weeks).
How Do Wegovy and Ozempic Work?
Both Wegovy and Ozempic are GLP-1 agonists containing semaglutide.
Semaglutide works by prompting the pancreas to produce more insulin, which reduces blood sugar. Semaglutide promotes weight loss by increasing the effects of GLP-1 in your body, making you feel full more quickly than usual and, in turn, decreasing your food intake.
Which Is More Effective?
Both Wegovy and Ozempic have been evaluated extensively in separate clinical trials, particularly related to weight loss and type 2 diabetes.
Weight Loss:
- In a test of Wegovy in adults without diabetes, those who received Wegovy lost an average of 12.4% of their initial body weight compared to those who received a placebo.
- Another study assessed Wegovy in adults with diabetes, displaying a 6.2% decrease in their initial body weight compared to those who received a placebo.
Type 2 Diabetes:
- The trials for Ozempic looked at the drug’s safety and effectiveness for managing type 2 diabetes, with weight loss as an added benefit.
- For diabetes control, both Ozempic and Wegovy can improvehemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), as well as blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. A1c is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar over the past three months.
- Ozempic lowered the average A1c by 1% during clinical trials. Wegovy also significantly improved blood sugar and A1c levels in clinical trials.
Side Effects and Safety
Since Wegovy and Ozempic contain the same active ingredient, they can cause the same side effects and should not be used together.
It should be noted that Wegovy and Ozempic carry a boxed warning—the FDA’s most strict warning regarding serious side effects—for the severe risk ofthyroid C-cell tumors.
In studies, both medications caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rats and mice. However, it is unknown whether semaglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans.
Common Side Effects
The most common side effect reported for Wegovy and Ozempic is gastrointestinal (GI) upset. This side effect may ease as your body gets used to the medication.
Common side effects of both Wegovy and Ozempic include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Fatigue
What is Ozempic Face?
“Ozempic face” is a slang term that describes a possible side effect ofsagging facial skindue to weight loss when first taking Ozempic. This side effect can also occur with Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonists.
Rapid weight loss can sometimes cause thefacial skinto stretch out and lose elasticity, appearing as sagging or loose.
Severe Side Effects
Less common but potentially severe side effects of Wegovy and Ozempic may include:
- Hypoglycemia(low blood sugar), especially in people taking certainoral diabetes medicationsorinsulin
- Problems affecting yourpancreas,gallbladder, orkidneys
- Increases inheart rate
- Depression, including suicidal thoughts
- Allergic reaction, including contact dermatitis
Wegovy and Ozempic are not recommended for individuals with a personal or family history ofMTCormultiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.
In addition, Wegovy and Ozempic should not be used by:
- People who are taking otherGLP-1 agonists
- People with a past allergic reaction to semaglutide or other ingredients
- People with type 1 diabetes
In addition, it isn’t known if Wegovy and Ozempic are safe to use in people with past or activepancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
8 FDA-Approved Drugs for Weight Management
What Medications Interact With Wegovy or Ozempic?
As with most medications, both Wegovy and Ozempic carry the risk of adverse interactions if taken along with other drugs, including the following:
- Wegovy and Ozempic should not be taken at the same time since you should not take more than oneGLP-1 agonistdrug at a time. Examples of other GLP-1 agonists includeVictoza (liraglutide) and Rybelsus (semaglutide).
- Taking either Ozempic or Wegovy with certain oral diabetes medications, such as Glyset (miglitol), or insulin may cause yourblood sugarto drop too low. If your healthcare provider prescribes these drugs for you, they will instruct you on monitoring your blood sugar often until you see how the treatments affect you.
- Both Wegovy and Ozempic cause a delay ingastric emptying(the time it takes for food to move through your digestive tract), which can impact the absorption and efficacy of other medications.
Because of these interactions, talk with your healthcare provider about all medicines you currently take before starting Wegovy or Ozempic.
Summary
Wegovy and Ozempic are similar medications. The FDA approves these drugs for different purposes, but both may causeweight loss.
Ozempic improves outcomes in adults withtype 2 diabetes, while Wegovy promotesweight lossin adults and adolescents who meet specific criteria.
Wegovy and Ozempic are meant to be used with exercise and diet changes.
The side effects are similar, with stomach upset being the most common. Talk to a healthcare provider if you think trying Wegovy or Ozempic is right for you.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Overweight and obesity: treatment.
Food and Drug Administration.Ozempic (semaglutide) prescribing information.
Food and Drug Administration.Wegovy (semaglutide) prescribing information.
Prescribers' Digital Reference. Semaglutide - drug summary.
MedlinePlus. Semaglutide injection.
Tran KL, Park YI, Pandya S, et al. Overview of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. Am Health Drug Benefits. 2017;10(4):178-188.
Wadden TA, Bailey TS, Billings LK, et al.Effect of subcutaneous semaglutide vs placebo as an adjunct to intensive behavioral therapy on body weight in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 3 randomized clinical trial.J Am Med Assoc. 2021;325(14):1403-1413. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1831
Davies M, Færch L, Jeppesen OK, et al.Semaglutide 2.4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2): a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.The Lancet. 2021;397(10278):971-984.doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00213-0
Food and Drug Administration.Drug trial snapshot: Ozempic.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing for diabetes and prediabetes: A1C.
Tay JQ. Ozempic face: A new challenge for facial plastic surgeons [published online ahead of print, 2023 Apr 20].J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2023;81:97-98. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2023.04.057
DailyMed. Label: Victoza- liraglutide injection.
DaiyMed. Label: Rybelsus- oral semaglutide tablet.
Almandoz JP, Lingvay I, Morales J, Campos C. Switching between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: rationale and practical guidance. Clin Diabetes. 2020;38(4):390-402. doi:10.2337/cd19-0100
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Patricia52-8acd6aaad385492b90873f769f7f3b69.jpg "Wegovy vs. Ozempic: How Are They Different? (2)")
By Patricia Weiser, PharmD
Patricia Weiser, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist and freelance medical writer. She has more than 14 years of professional experience.
See Our Editorial Process
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?
