GLP-1 Different Types: Injections, Tablets and How They Differ (October 2026)

01 · The core answer

What are the different types of GLP-1 medications?

There are several GLP-1 types, grouped by active ingredient and format. The injectable ones are tirzepatide, semaglutide and liraglutide. Tablet forms now exist too, including Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide) and Foundayo (orforglipron).²⁰²¹

Dosing, licensing and suitability differ between them, so the choice belongs with a prescriber rather than a comparison table.

02 · Your decision

Which type is relevant to you?

The right type depends on your health history, other medicines, how you feel about injections and how you tolerate side effects. Many adults start with a weekly injection because it means fewer dosing days. Others prefer a tablet, or have been advised against a particular ingredient.

If you want to explore treatment, our weight loss clinic explains how a free consultation works, and a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews every order. Ready readers can go straight to the Mounjaro pen. Your first 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40 (standard price £169.99).

03 · Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)

Tirzepatide: the dual-action injection

Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine made by Eli Lilly. In the UK it is licensed for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes.¹

Tirzepatide is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1. Together these help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties, and improve the way the body responds to insulin. This dual action is what distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide.¹

In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise 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. These are trial averages — individual results vary, and treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.²

Everyone starts on 2.5mg once a week. After at least 4 weeks the dose increases to 5mg, and can then step up by 2.5mg at a minimum of 4-week intervals up to a maximum of 15mg weekly. Higher is not automatically better, and your prescriber will guide the pace.¹ For the different strengths, see our guide to the different types of Mounjaro.

04 · Semaglutide (Wegovy)

Semaglutide: Wegovy and Ozempic

Semaglutide is a single-action GLP-1 medicine, sold as Wegovy for weight management and as Ozempic, which is licensed for type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is not a UK weight-loss medicine, and a regulated UK pharmacy will not supply it for weight loss. Wegovy pens come in 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg and 2.4mg strengths, taken once weekly.¹⁸

The 2.4mg dose is the licensed maintenance dose for weight management.¹⁸ Your first Wegovy pen costs £99.99 as a first-order price. Check availability at the time of order.

Semaglutide and tirzepatide are both effective licensed treatments; which suits you depends on your health profile, tolerance and prescriber advice. Our guide to different types of GLP-1 drugs goes further.

05 · Liraglutide (daily)

Liraglutide: the daily injection

Liraglutide, supplied as Saxenda and in products such as Erly, is the oldest injectable type here. It is supplied at 6mg/ml and is a daily injection, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy.

For some people a daily routine is acceptable; for many, weekly dosing is easier to keep up. Our overview of weight loss injection types sets out the formats.

06 · Tablets and look-alikes

Tablets, and what is not a GLP-1

Tablet GLP-1 medicines are a separate group, and there is no tablet that is simply Mounjaro in pill form. Wegovy tablets contain oral semaglutide, and Foundayo contains orforglipron.²⁰²¹ Each has its own licence and dosing, and no trial has compared Mounjaro directly with either tablet. Current Wegovy tablet details are on our weight loss clinic pages.

The nickname 'poor man's Ozempic' or 'nature's Ozempic' usually points to berberine. It is a low-cost supplement with no clinical oversight and is not a GLP-1 medicine. Dosing is not standardised, and it should not be treated as an equivalent to prescription treatment. It is available cheaply without assessment, which is part of the risk.

If you see online sellers offering to supply any injectable without a consultation or prescription, avoid them. Genuine Mounjaro comes through regulated pharmacies; you can check ours on the GPhC register (9012878).⁷

07 · Choosing and NHS access

Choosing a type, results and NHS access

Weight loss on Mounjaro is gradual by design. Trials measured results at 72 weeks — think in months, not days, and judge progress by trend, not individual weigh-ins.¹

Tell your prescriber about everything you take, especially warfarin or other narrow-margin medicines, insulin, or sulfonylureas, where doses may need reducing to avoid low blood sugar.¹ Mounjaro slows stomach emptying, which can reduce how well oral contraceptive pills are absorbed. The SmPC advises switching to a non-oral method, or adding a barrier method (such as condoms), for 4 weeks after starting Mounjaro and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. Mounjaro must not be used during pregnancy, and it should be stopped at least one month before trying to conceive.

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 primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first.⁴ Many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting. See also what the types of GLP-1 drugs are and weight loss medications compared.

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).