Mounjaro Alternatives in the UK: What Else Works? (November 2026)

01 · Choosing

Which Mounjaro alternative is right for you?

• Want the closest match on results: Wegovy injection. In the head-to-head SURMOUNT-5 trial, tirzepatide gave 20.2% average weight loss over 72 weeks versus 13.7% for semaglutide 2.4mg.¹⁰
• Would rather not inject: Wegovy tablets or Foundayo.
• Want a lower monthly cost: Wegovy is usually cheaper than Mounjaro, starting from £99.99 per pen with us.
• Prefer a medicine that does not affect appetite: orlistat.

In the free consultation you can say which treatment you are interested in, and a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews your answers and recommends what is suitable.

02 · How to order

How to start an alternative

Choose a treatment, complete the free consultation, and if the prescriber approves it our pharmacy sends it with free next-day tracked delivery. If you are switching from Mounjaro, tell us your current dose and when you last injected. All of these are prescription-only medicines, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, and used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. Individual results vary. This page is information, not a substitute for medical advice.

03 · Wegovy

Wegovy: the closest alternative

Wegovy contains semaglutide, which acts on the GLP-1 receptor, while Mounjaro acts on both GIP and GLP-1.¹² In STEP 1, adults on semaglutide 2.4mg lost on average 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo.³ It is a once-weekly injection like Mounjaro, the side effects are similar, and it is usually cheaper, especially at higher doses.

The dose steps up after 4 weeks on each of 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg and 1.7mg, so the 2.4mg maintenance dose starts from week 17.¹ Our page on Mounjaro vs Wegovy compares them in detail.

04 · Tablets

Tablet alternatives: Wegovy tablets and Foundayo

Two GLP-1 weight-loss tablets are now licensed in the UK: Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk), approved by the MHRA in June 2026, and Foundayo (orforglipron, made by Eli Lilly), approved in August 2026.⁴⁵

In the OASIS 4 trial, adults taking semaglutide 25mg tablets for 64 weeks lost on average 13.6% of their body weight, compared with 2.2% on placebo.⁶ In the ATTAIN-1 trial, people taking the highest dose of orforglipron for 72 weeks lost on average 12.4% of their body weight, compared with 0.9% on placebo.⁷ Tablets are taken every day, and Wegovy tablets must be taken on an empty stomach with a sip of water, 30 minutes before eating. See our guide to the best weight loss pills.

05 · Orlistat

Orlistat (Xenical and Alli)

Orlistat blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses than the GLP-1 medicines.⁸ It does not reduce appetite. It works best alongside a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet, and fatty meals can cause oily spotting and urgent bowel movements. Orlistat 120mg is prescription-only; Alli (orlistat 60mg) is a lower-strength pharmacy medicine. See our orlistat prices.

06 · Saxenda vs Mounjaro

Saxenda (liraglutide) vs Mounjaro

Liraglutide, sold as Saxenda and in other products, is an older GLP-1 medicine. It is supplied at 6mg per millilitre and is a daily injection, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy. It generally gives smaller average weight loss than the newer weekly medicines, and the daily injection is a bigger commitment. For most people choosing today, the weekly injections or the newer tablets are the more common choices, but liraglutide may suit some people.

07 · Other options

Other options

Mysimba (naltrexone with bupropion) is another licensed tablet, prescribed less often. On the NHS, weight management services offer diet, activity and behavioural support, and some people are referred for specialist care. Whatever you choose, medicines work best alongside changes to eating, activity and sleep.

08 · Switching from Mounjaro

Switching from Mounjaro to an alternative

People switch for different reasons: side effects that do not settle, cost, wanting a tablet, or a plateau. If you move from Mounjaro to a tablet or the reverse, the prescriber decides when to switch and which dose to start on. Because the medicines are different, doses are not converted one-to-one, and the new medicine often starts at a lower step. Never take two weight-loss medicines of this type together.

Weight tends to return after stopping. In SURMOUNT-4, people who stopped tirzepatide after 36 weeks regained on average 14% of body weight over the following year.⁹ Switching to an alternative, rather than stopping altogether, can help you keep the weight off.