Is Mounjaro or Wegovy Cheaper? UK Price Comparison (October 2026)

01 · The verdict

Is Wegovy cheaper than Mounjaro? The short answer

It depends which pen you are comparing, because the two medicines do not share a dose ladder. At the start, a first Wegovy pen costs £99.99 (a first-order price), and a first Mounjaro 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40. The standard Mounjaro 2.5mg price is £169.99.

The starting pen is only a small part of the story. Most people stay on treatment for months, so the dose you settle on matters far more than the first pen. For current Wegovy prices at each strength, check the Wegovy pen page; for every Mounjaro strength, see the Mounjaro pen page.

The honest answer is that neither is cheaper at every step. Compare at the same point in treatment, and compare what you get for the money.

02 · Side by side

Mounjaro vs Wegovy: cost and treatment compared

A new customer's first order is £40 less, and every later order is £25 less than the standard price.

03 · Decision

Which is cheaper for you: a simple way to decide

Start with the question your prescriber will actually ask: which medicine suits your health profile and tolerance? Price should break a tie, not make the clinical decision. If both are suitable, work through three steps.

• Price the maintenance dose. Look up the monthly cost of the strength you are likely to reach, not just the starter pen.
• Weigh price against results. A lower monthly price is only better value if the treatment works well enough for you to continue.

If you want a deeper clinical comparison first, our guides on whether Wegovy is better than Mounjaro and whether Mounjaro is better for weight loss go through the evidence in detail.

04 · Why prices differ

Why is Wegovy cheaper than Mounjaro? What drives the price gap

The price gap exists because two different companies set the list price of two different medicines. Wegovy is made by Novo Nordisk and Mounjaro by Eli Lilly.

Eli Lilly announced a UK list-price increase for Mounjaro in August 2025, which took effect on 1 September 2025.¹⁰ Pharmacy sell prices still vary because of confidential discounts, which is one reason the same dose can cost different amounts at different providers.

It is worth being careful with explanations that sound neat. A higher price does not prove a better product, and a lower price does not prove a lesser one. The only way to judge value is to put the price next to the trial evidence.

Our existing guides explain the same question from other angles: why Wegovy costs less in the UK and why Wegovy doses are lower than Mounjaro doses.

05 · Price versus results

Cheaper per pen versus cheaper per result

A cheaper pen is better value only if it delivers enough benefit for you. In the first large head-to-head trial (SURMOUNT-5), adults on tirzepatide lost on average 20.2% of body weight over 72 weeks versus 13.7% on semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy).¹⁵ Both are effective, licensed treatments; which suits you depends on your health profile, tolerance and prescriber advice, not the headline number alone.¹⁵

In the STEP 1 trial, adults on semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy) lost on average 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo.⁹ That is a meaningful result, and for many people Wegovy is a sensible, effective choice. These are separate trials, so do not set the two figures side by side as a comparison; only SURMOUNT-5 compared the two medicines directly.

The detailed SURMOUNT-5 results give a fuller picture. In SURMOUNT-5, 751 adults took tirzepatide or semaglutide 2.4mg for 72 weeks.¹⁵ Average loss was 22.8 kg vs 15.0 kg.¹⁵ Trial averages do not predict your own result, and treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.

How does this change the cost question? Our guide on whether Wegovy works better than Mounjaro covers how to read these results sensibly.

06 · Tolerability and cost

Side effects, stopping early and wasted spend

Stopping because of side effects is a hidden cost, because pens already paid for go unused. In STEP 1, gastrointestinal side effects were reported by 74.2% of people on semaglutide 2.4mg, compared with 47.9% on placebo.⁹ 7.0% stopped treatment because of side effects, compared with 3.1% on placebo.⁹

This is why a gradual step-up and regular prescriber reviews matter. Moving through the doses at the pace your prescriber sets, rather than rushing to a higher strength, is part of getting value from either medicine. Our aftercare includes ongoing monthly reviews, dose titration and follow-up assessments by the prescribing team, plus side-effect support.

If you notice any new symptom, discuss it with your prescriber and report it through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

07 · Titration and year costs

What the first year costs

Both medicines start low and step up, so your first months cost less or more than your maintenance phase depending on where you end up. The Wegovy ladder runs 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg and then 2.4mg, stepping up after at least four weeks and reaching the 2.4mg maintenance dose from week 17.

For Mounjaro, a first year (13 pens) costs £2,399.88 if you stay on 5mg after your 2.5mg starting pen, up to £3,279.88 if you step up through every dose to 15mg. For a maintenance dose in between, use that dose's monthly price: £244.99 at 7.5mg, £274.99 at 10mg, or £289.99 at 12.5mg.

These figures are before discounts. A new customer's first order is £40 less with code FIRST40, and an automatic £25 reorder discount applies to every future order (code DOSE25). The discount on a first order applies at any dose, including if you are switching to us from another provider at a higher dose; for example, your first 15mg order is £259.99 as a first-order price.

For the Wegovy side, use the current figures on the Wegovy pen page rather than relying on an estimate here.

08 · Do not cut corners

Saving money safely: what not to do

The pressure to find the lowest price pushes some people towards unsafe shortcuts, and these cost far more in risk than they save.

Buying from unverified sellers. The MHRA has seized thousands of fake weight-loss pens in the UK and has issued alerts after falsified Mounjaro pens were identified. Fake pens have caused hospitalisations, and some contained insulin rather than tirzepatide.⁷ Only buy from a pharmacy you can verify on the GPhC register (ours is GPhC 9012878), never from social media, beauty salons or unverified websites.¹² A price far below what the regulated market shows is itself a warning sign.

A genuine UK Mounjaro pen comes from a registered pharmacy with a batch number and expiry date, arrives cold-chain packaged, and the solution inside is clear and colourless.¹³ Do not use a pen that has been frozen, looks cloudy or discoloured, has particles in it, is past its expiry, or has been above 30°C. In use, a pen can be kept out of the fridge at not above 30°C for up to 30 days, and must then be thrown away.¹³

09 · Tablets and alternatives

Are tablets or other alternatives cheaper?

There is no tablet form of Mounjaro, because tirzepatide is injection-only in the UK.¹ Two GLP-1 weight-loss tablets are now licensed in the UK: Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk) and Foundayo (orforglipron, made by Eli Lilly).²⁰²¹ They are different medicines from Mounjaro, with their own dosing, eligibility checks and trial results, and both are prescription-only.

Our guides on whether GLP-1 pills are cheaper than injections and whether weight loss pills are cheaper than injections go through the trade-offs.

Other options exist. Orlistat is a tablet that blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses, and Saxenda (liraglutide) is a daily injection supplied at 6mg/ml. "Natural GLP-1" supplements such as berberine are available cheaply without assessment; they are not medicines, are not regulated for this use and have no comparable trial evidence. Cheap is not the same as good value when the product has not been shown to work.

Also note that Ozempic is semaglutide licensed for type 2 diabetes, not a UK weight-loss medicine, and prescribing it privately for weight loss is off-label.¹⁸ A regulated UK pharmacy will not supply it for weight loss, so the real licensed choice is Mounjaro or Wegovy.

10 · Switching and NHS

Switching between them, and the NHS route

If cost is your reason for switching, know that there is no licensed direct conversion between semaglutide and tirzepatide. Switching is done under prescriber supervision: typically the previous medicine is stopped, a washout interval observed, and Mounjaro started at a dose your prescriber judges appropriate, often the 2.5mg starting dose, sometimes adjusted based on your history. Never run two GLP-1 medicines together.¹

That means a switch has its own cost: you may restart on a low dose rather than continuing at an equivalent strength. Consider whether you are happy with your current results and tolerance before changing for price alone.

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.

The standard NHS prescription charge in England is £9.90 where it applies. Check eligibility with your GP before assuming an NHS route will work for you.

11 · 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

12 · Paying and ordering

What you pay and how ordering works with us

The consultation is free and the price shown is the price paid, with no hidden fees. Mounjaro is supplied through official LillyDirect supply, direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution, with genuine KwikPens and all six doses in stock. We also offer Klarna and pay-monthly options, with no subscription lock-in, and repeat orders re-check suitability with no auto-shipping.

Ordering takes three steps:

• Free online consultation. A short health questionnaire with no charge and no obligation.
• Prescriber review. Your answers are reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.
• Dispatch and delivery. Same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm, then free next-day tracked delivery in temperature-controlled, discreet packaging. Saturday delivery is £14.99.

New customers save £40 on their first order with code FIRST40, and an automatic £25 reorder discount applies to every future order (code DOSE25). To see current prices for every strength, visit our weight loss clinic.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. It is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Individual results vary. This page is information, not a substitute for medical advice.