Compare GLP-1 Medications in the UK (October 2026)

01 · The short verdict

Which GLP-1 suits whom: the verdict first

No single GLP-1 is 'the best' for everyone; the right one depends on your health profile, tolerance and prescriber advice. For weight loss, Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg) are the licensed injectable options. Both are effective. The first large head-to-head trial, SURMOUNT-5, found a higher average loss on tirzepatide.¹⁵

Mounjaro is a once-weekly pen that is titrated up through six strengths, and your prescriber guides the pace. Wegovy suits adults whose prescriber prefers semaglutide, perhaps because of their history or because they already tolerate it. Its ladder runs 0.25mg to 2.4mg, reaching the maintenance dose from week 17. If you want a tablet, two GLP-1 weight-loss tablets are now licensed, but they are different medicines with their own eligibility checks.²⁰²¹

02 · Side by side

GLP-1 comparison table

Other trials enrolled different populations over different durations, so only SURMOUNT-5 supports a direct tirzepatide-vs-semaglutide comparison. Individual results vary, and every one of these treatments works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.²

03 · How to choose

The decision factors that matter

Start with the licence. If your goal is weight management, choose between the licensed options, not between licensed and off-label ones. A regulated UK pharmacy will not supply Ozempic for weight loss.¹⁸

Next, consider the evidence. In SURMOUNT-5, 81.6% on tirzepatide lost at least 10% of body weight versus 60.5% on semaglutide, and average loss was 22.8 kg versus 15.0 kg.¹⁵ Both are effective, and which suits you depends on your health profile and tolerance, not the headline number alone.

Then weigh format and cost. Weekly pens suit people who prefer one injection a week; tablets suit those who prefer not to inject. For Mounjaro, a new customer saves £40 on their first order with code FIRST40, and an automatic £25 reorder discount applies to every future order (code DOSE25). For a wider look at what each option costs, read the guide to low-cost GLP-1 treatment.

Finally, check suitability with a clinician. Our free online consultation is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, with no charge and no obligation.

Related guides: Compare glp 1 prices and Compare glp 1 medications.

04 · How GLP-1 drugs work

How GLP-1 medicines work

GLP-1 medicines mimic a natural gut hormone that helps regulate appetite and how the body responds to insulin. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1.¹ Together these help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties, and improve the way the body responds to insulin.

In practice, most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet. That is the point of the treatment: it makes eating less easier, but it does not replace the diet and activity changes that go with it.

This dual action is what distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic.¹ Semaglutide acts on the GLP-1 receptor alone.

Dosing patterns are similar in shape. Mounjaro comes as a multi-dose KwikPen in six strengths: 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg, taken once weekly. Wegovy comes in 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg and 2.4mg pens, stepping up after 4 weeks on each of 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg and 1.7mg, with the 2.4mg maintenance dose starting from week 17. Both start low and rise gradually. Liraglutide (Saxenda, and similar products) is a daily injection supplied at 6mg per millilitre, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy.

One practical point on duration: tirzepatide has a half-life of about five days, so after a final dose it takes roughly 4–5 weeks to clear the system. There is no way to speed this up, and nothing needs doing while it clears.¹

Our page on GLP-1 agonists side by side goes through each active ingredient, and our overview of all weight loss treatments shows where the injections sit alongside other options. The key idea to carry forward is that these are not interchangeable pills: each has its own licence, dosing ladder, evidence base and prescriber checks.

05 · Trial evidence compared

What the trials actually show

The trial evidence for tirzepatide and semaglutide is strong, but it needs reading in context. Quote each result only alongside its own trial, because different trials enrol different people over different lengths of time.

SURMOUNT-1 studied 2,539 adults. Alongside diet and exercise, people taking tirzepatide lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.² At 72 weeks, 85% on 5mg, 89% on 10mg and 91% on 15mg had lost at least 5% of body weight. Half of participants on 10mg and 57% on 15mg lost at least 20%. As a worked example, for someone starting at 100 kg, 20.9% is about 21 kg. These are trial averages; individual results vary.

STEP 1 studied semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy). Adults lost on average 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo.⁹ In that trial, 86.4% lost at least 5% of body weight (31.5% on placebo), 69.1% lost at least 10% (12.0%) and 50.5% lost at least 15% (4.9%).

SURMOUNT-5 is the one that matters for a direct comparison. In this first large head-to-head trial, 751 adults took tirzepatide or semaglutide 2.4mg for 72 weeks. Average loss was 20.2% on tirzepatide versus 13.7% on semaglutide, or 22.8 kg versus 15.0 kg.¹⁵

Both are effective, licensed treatments. A higher average does not mean it is the right drug for you, because tolerance, other conditions and prescriber advice all count. Do not set SURMOUNT-1 and STEP 1 figures side by side as if they were a head-to-head result; they were not. For more on the semaglutide side, see our Wegovy pen page.

06 · Licensed UK options

Which GLP-1 medicines are licensed in the UK

For weight management, the licensed GLP-1 injectables are Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg) and Saxenda (liraglutide). Licensing is the first filter when you compare GLP-1 drugs, because it tells you what the regulator has assessed for this use.

Mounjaro is licensed in the UK for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes. It is a once-weekly pen made by Eli Lilly.¹ Wegovy is semaglutide at the 2.4mg maintenance dose, licensed for weight management and also once weekly.¹⁸ Saxenda is liraglutide, a daily injection supplied at 6mg per millilitre.

Ozempic is the common source of confusion. It is semaglutide licensed for type 2 diabetes, not a UK weight-loss medicine, and prescribing it privately for weight loss is off-label. So 'Mounjaro vs Ozempic' for weight loss is really Mounjaro vs Wegovy, and a regulated UK pharmacy will not supply Ozempic for weight loss.

Newer entrants are tablets. Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk) were approved by the MHRA in June 2026, and Foundayo (orforglipron, made by Eli Lilly) in August 2026.²⁰²¹ Both are prescription-only, with their own dosing, eligibility checks and trial results.

Orlistat is a tablet that blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses. It is not a GLP-1, so it works differently.

No licensed medicine is best for everyone; which suits you depends on your health profile, tolerance and prescriber advice. Retatrutide, often mentioned online, has no UK licence and must not be used outside a regulated pathway.

07 · Tablets and cheaper options

Tablets, supplements and 'cheaper alternatives'

There is no tablet form of Mounjaro: tirzepatide is injection-only in the UK. If you want a pill, the licensed GLP-1 choices are Wegovy tablets and Foundayo, which are different medicines from Mounjaro with their own dosing and eligibility checks.²⁰²¹

Cheapness and effectiveness are separate questions, and the licensed route is the only one with regulated supply and trial evidence behind it. Across the UK pharmacies we track, the cheapest Mounjaro pen at any dose is £143.96 and the dearest is £339.00, checked 10 October 2026. For the 2.5mg starting pen, the range is £143.96 to £179.99. The gap between providers for the same dose ranges from £27 to £41. That spread is why it pays to check GLP-1 providers on a like-for-like dose.

A word on 'natural GLP-1' products. The nickname 'poor man's Ozempic' is attached to supplements such as berberine. These are not medicines, are not regulated for this use and have no comparable trial evidence. They are available cheaply without assessment, which is exactly the safety problem: there is no clinical oversight, dosing is not standardised, and any dramatic weight-loss claims should be treated as marketing. 'Mimicking Ozempic naturally' is not something a supplement has been shown to do.

Other licensed alternatives to injections work differently. Orlistat blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses. Saxenda is a daily injection rather than weekly.

Avoid anything offering to supply a GLP-1 without a consultation or prescription. Unlicensed 'research' peptides and compounded copies have no safety data and no regulated supply chain. We supply genuine KwikPens through official LillyDirect supply, sourced directly from Eli Lilly's UK distribution, and our full range is on the Mounjaro pen page. If you are weighing cost against quality, a prescriber review is the cheaper way to find out which route fits you.

08 · Side effects and safety

Side effects and safety: what can and cannot be compared

In STEP 1, gastrointestinal side effects were reported by 74.2% of people on semaglutide 2.4mg, compared with 47.9% on placebo, and 7.0% stopped treatment because of side effects, compared with 3.1% on placebo.⁹ That gives a realistic sense of what stomach-related effects look like on a GLP-1, but it does not mean other GLP-1s are better or worse, and it should not be set against figures from other trials.

A few safety principles hold across the class. Never run two GLP-1 medicines together. Mounjaro must not be combined with other GLP-1 medicines, unlicensed 'research' peptides (such as retatrutide, which has no UK licence) or compounded copies. These combinations have no safety data and no regulated supply chain. If something promises faster results outside a licensed pathway, that is the warning sign.

Why do people's experiences differ between drugs? Partly because each person tolerates each medicine differently, which is why a prescriber chooses the starting dose and pace. Tolerance is part of the decision between licensed options, and it is one reason ongoing review matters. Our prescribing team provides monthly reviews, dose-titration and follow-up assessments, plus side-effect support.

If you notice a new symptom, discuss it with your prescriber. You can also report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹ Reporting helps regulators monitor every GLP-1 on the market, not only the one you take. Mounjaro is prescription-only, supplied after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, and used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Individual results vary.

09 · Cost, year totals and NHS

What GLP-1 treatment costs, privately and on the NHS

Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years. NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first, initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions.⁴⁶ Full rollout is expected to take years, which is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting. NHS access to Wegovy runs through specialist weight-management services; ask your GP.

For private Mounjaro, dose determines price. At standard prices, a pen at 2.5mg costs £169.99, 5mg £218.99, 7.5mg £279.99, 10mg £290.99, 12.5mg £319.99 and 15mg £329.99, each per four-week pen. That works out at £42.50 per week at 2.5mg up to £82.50 per week at 15mg.

A new customer's first order is £40 less with code FIRST40, and every later order is £25 off the standard price (code DOSE25). Your first 2.5mg pen therefore costs £129.99 with the code, against the standard £169.99. If you are switching to us at 15mg, your first order is £289.99.

For maintenance doses between those, use the monthly figure: £279.99 at 7.5mg, £290.99 at 10mg or £319.99 at 12.5mg.

For Wegovy, your first pen costs £99.99 on a first order. A consultation with us is free, and the price shown is the price paid. We offer Klarna and pay-monthly options, with no subscriptions.

10 · Switching and combining

Switching between GLP-1 medicines, and why you should not combine them

There is no licensed direct conversion between semaglutide and tirzepatide, so any switch is made under prescriber supervision. Typically the previous medicine is stopped, a washout interval is observed, and Mounjaro is started at a dose your prescriber judges appropriate. That is often the 2.5mg starting dose, though it is sometimes adjusted based on your history.

This matters for anyone comparing GLP-1s because the decision is not always permanent. People move between medicines for tolerance, availability or cost reasons. If you are on Wegovy or Ozempic and thinking about Mounjaro, the consultation is where your current dose, how you have tolerated it and your goals are reviewed. There is no licensed dose-for-dose equivalence between semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Never run two GLP-1 medicines together. That rule covers an overlap while changing, 'topping up' one pen with another, and combining with other products sold as GLP-1 support. Mounjaro must not be combined with other GLP-1 medicines, unlicensed 'research' peptides such as retatrutide (no UK licence), or compounded copies. Those combinations have no safety data and no regulated supply chain.

It also helps to know how long tirzepatide stays in the body. With a half-life of about five days, it takes roughly 4–5 weeks to clear the system after a final dose. There is nothing to do while it clears, and no way to speed it up.¹ A prescriber builds the washout interval around the medicine you are leaving.

Switching to us at a higher dose is possible. A new customer gets £40 off the first order at any dose with code FIRST40, but the starting dose is the prescriber's decision, not the discount's. Because repeat orders re-check suitability and nothing auto-ships, there is a clinical checkpoint each time. To begin, start your free consultation. Switching is never a reason to skip the review, and the safest route is always to change under supervision rather than improvise with leftover pens.

11 · Choosing a provider

How to choose a GLP-1 provider

The safest provider is a registered UK pharmacy that supplies genuine pens only after a prescriber review. Check the GPhC register before ordering: EverydayMeds is registered under number 9012878, and you can verify it on the GPhC register.¹²

There is no single 'best' provider, so compare on the factors you can verify. First, supply: we supply Mounjaro through official LillyDirect supply, direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution, with genuine KwikPens and all six doses stocked from 2.5mg to 15mg. They are in stock as of October 2026. Second, clinical process: our free consultation is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, not a scoring script. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.

Third, delivery. Orders placed by 3pm are dispatched the same day, with free next-day tracked delivery (DPD, temperature-controlled, discreet). Saturday delivery is £14.99. Fourth, aftercare: monthly reviews, dose-titration and follow-up assessments are included, and needles, a sharps bin and injection guidance come with every order. Our free GLPTrackr app helps you track your GLP-1 journey.

Fifth, price transparency. Across the UK pharmacies we track, Mounjaro pens range from £143.96 to £339.00 per month depending on dose and provider, as checked 10 October 2026. Compare the same dose at each provider and look for hidden fees; ours is free to consult and the price shown is the price paid.

Ordering is straightforward. Step one is a free online consultation. Step two is prescriber review. Step three is dispensing and dispatch, then delivery. We have supported over 100,000 customers on their weight loss journey, which is a measure of service volume, not of treatment results. Support is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, on 0333 207 0413 or at support@everydaymeds.co.uk. Payment options include Visa, Mastercard and Klarna.

12 · Serious side effects

Serious side effects: when to get help straight away

Serious side effects are uncommon but need urgent attention. Seek immediate medical help for: severe, persistent stomach pain that may spread to your back, with or without vomiting (possible pancreatitis); pain in the upper right abdomen, fever or yellowing of skin/eyes (possible gallbladder problems); or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat and difficulty breathing. If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea alongside Mounjaro, watch for low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, confusion) — your prescriber may need to adjust those medicines.¹