Saxenda vs Mounjaro Cost in the UK (October 2026)

01 · The verdict

Which costs less: Saxenda or Mounjaro?

The clearest comparisons are how often you inject, how the trials performed, and what a year of Mounjaro costs.

The Mounjaro pen costs £169.99 per month at the 2.5mg starting dose, £189.99 at 5mg, £244.99 at 7.5mg, £274.99 at 10mg, £289.99 at 12.5mg and £299.99 at 15mg. Those are standard prices for one pen, which lasts four weekly doses. Your first 2.5mg pen costs £129.99 with code FIRST40. Every later order is £25 off the standard price (code DOSE25).

These are different trials in different populations, so the figures are not a head-to-head comparison. Individual results vary, and both medicines work alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.²

02 · Who each suits

Who each option suits

Mounjaro is a once-weekly injection, while Saxenda is injected daily. Saxenda may suit someone whose prescriber prefers a liraglutide-based plan, or who tolerates a daily routine well. Your prescriber should make that call, based on your BMI, history and current medicines.

Our full Mounjaro cost guide breaks the price down dose by dose. You can also see how Mounjaro and Saxenda prices compare in our price-focused guide.

03 · What you pay for

What the Mounjaro price includes

The consultation is free, and the price shown is the price paid, with no hidden fees. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full. If a consultation is declined, you are refunded automatically in full.

Delivery is free next-day tracked in temperature-controlled packaging, with same-day dispatch when you order by 3pm. Saturday delivery is £14.99. Needles, a sharps bin and injection guidance come with every order, and the prescribing team provides monthly reviews and dose-titration support. We supply genuine KwikPens through official LillyDirect supply, and all six doses are in stock.

Klarna and pay-monthly options are available, and there is no subscription lock-in. Repeat orders re-check suitability, and nothing ships automatically. If you are ready, start your free consultation. Current offers are explained on our Mounjaro discount code page.

04 · How to order

How ordering works

• Complete the free online consultation, a short health questionnaire with no obligation.
• A GPhC-registered prescriber reviews it. Unsuitable orders are refunded automatically.
• Your pen is dispensed by our registered pharmacy and sent on free next-day tracked delivery.

05 · How each works

How Saxenda and Mounjaro work

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. It comes as a pre-filled multi-dose pen (KwikPen) in six strengths: 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg.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. In practice, most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.¹

Saxenda is the brand name for liraglutide, a licensed injectable weight-management option. It is a daily injection, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy. Liraglutide is supplied at a concentration of 6mg per millilitre.

The practical difference shows up in routine. With Mounjaro you inject once a week, so a four-week pen means four injections. With Saxenda you inject every day, which is 28 injections across the same four weeks. For some people the daily rhythm is a nuisance. For others it is an easy habit tied to a time of day.

Neither medicine replaces lifestyle changes. Both are licensed for use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, and your prescriber will review how you are getting on at regular intervals. Our aftercare includes monthly reviews, dose-titration and follow-up assessments by the prescribing team, plus side-effect support.

It also helps to know how long a dose stays in your body. Tirzepatide has a half-life of about five days, so after a final dose it takes roughly 4 to 5 weeks to clear the system. There is no way to speed this up, and nothing needs doing while it clears.¹

For a clinical side-by-side, see our guide to how Saxenda and Mounjaro differ clinically. For a three-way view that includes Wegovy, see the Saxenda, Wegovy and Mounjaro comparison.

Side effects, contraindications and interactions are set out in each medicine's patient information leaflet. Read it before starting, and report any suspected side effect through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. Tell your prescriber about every medicine you take, including over-the-counter products and supplements.

06 · Trial results

What the trials show

The Saxenda and Mounjaro figures come from different trials, so treat them as separate pieces of evidence. In the SCALE trial, adults taking liraglutide 3.0mg (Saxenda) for 56 weeks lost on average 8.0% of body weight (8.4 kg), compared with 2.6% (2.8 kg) on placebo. In that trial, 64% lost at least 5% of body weight (versus 27%) and 33% lost more than 10% (versus 10%).

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. At 72 weeks, 85% of participants on 5mg, 89% on 10mg and 91% on 15mg had lost at least 5% of their body weight. Half of participants on 10mg and 57% on 15mg lost at least 20%.²

For a worked example of what a percentage means, someone starting at 100 kg would lose about 21 kg at the 20.9% trial average. These are trial averages. Individual results vary, and treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.

SURMOUNT-5 is the first large head-to-head trial of tirzepatide and semaglutide for weight loss. In that trial, 751 adults took tirzepatide or semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy) for 72 weeks. Average loss was 20.2% of body weight versus 13.7%, or 22.8 kg versus 15.0 kg. At least 15% was lost by 64.6% on tirzepatide versus 40.1% on semaglutide.¹⁵ Both are effective, licensed treatments, and which suits you depends on your health profile, tolerance and prescriber advice.

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.⁹

Remember that stopping treatment changes the picture too. Stopping should always be planned with your prescriber, with diet and activity habits ready to carry the load.

07 · NHS or private

NHS or private: who can get what

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.

On the NHS you pay the standard prescription charge in England, £9.90 per item, unless you are exempt. That does not mean every eligible person can get it at once, because access depends on where you are in the phased rollout. Your GP can tell you where you stand locally.

Privately, the licensed criteria are wider than the NHS rollout stages. Mounjaro is licensed for weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. It must be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. A prescriber will assess your BMI, medical history and current medicines before deciding whether it is suitable.¹

That wider licensed range is the main reason people pay privately.

When you compare private costs, include what sits around the pen. Does the provider review you monthly? Does a prescriber re-check suitability on every reorder? Is delivery free and cold-chain?

If you think you might qualify on the NHS, it can make sense to ask your GP while you consider private options. The two are not mutually exclusive in the early stages, though you should never take two GLP-1 medicines together. Tell every prescriber what you are taking.

08 · Daily vs weekly

Daily versus weekly dosing in practice

Saxenda is injected once a day and Mounjaro once a week, and that difference affects cost, convenience and waste. Liraglutide is a daily injection supplied at 6mg per millilitre, while Mounjaro comes as a KwikPen designed and licensed to deliver exactly four weekly doses.¹

Over a year, a daily medicine means about 365 injections, against 52 for a weekly one. Fewer injections can matter if you dislike needles, travel often, or struggle to keep a daily habit. If you miss a Mounjaro dose, take it as soon as you can within 4 days (96 hours) of the scheduled time. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose and take the next one on your normal day, and never take two doses within 3 days of each other.

Mounjaro is licensed as a once-weekly medicine; its blood levels are designed around a 7-day cycle. Each KwikPen contains four weekly doses. You start low and step up. Your prescriber decides whether to go higher or stay.

Storage is straightforward. Keep unopened pens in the fridge until first use, and they keep until the printed expiry date. Once you start a pen, it can be kept for up to 30 days (not above 30°C) out of the fridge. Do not use a pen that has been frozen, looks cloudy or discoloured, has particles in it, or is past its expiry. For unopened pens that have been out of the fridge, check the patient information leaflet and ask the pharmacy.¹³

Follow the pen's instructions for each injection, and use the sharps bin we supply with every order. Our guidance leaflet walks through the process, and the prescribing team is available for support Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by email at support@everydaymeds.co.uk, through the account portal chat, or by phone on 0333 207 0413.

The GLPTrackr companion app, free on iOS and Android, helps you track doses, symptoms and progress. That is useful on a daily regimen and a weekly one alike, because it gives you a clear record to share at monthly reviews.

Convenience carries a cost value of its own. If daily injections would make you more likely to skip doses, discuss which routine suits you with your prescriber. That is a personal judgement, so discuss it openly with the prescriber.

09 · Cheaper alternatives

Other treatment options and what to avoid

There is no tablet form of Mounjaro, because tirzepatide is injection-only in the UK. Two GLP-1 weight-loss tablets are now licensed: 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. They are different medicines from Mounjaro, with their own dosing, eligibility checks and trial results, and both are prescription-only. See our weight loss treatments page for current options.

Other licensed options work differently. Orlistat is a tablet that blocks some dietary fat absorption and produces smaller average losses. Wegovy and Saxenda (liraglutide) are other licensed injectables. You can check current Wegovy pen availability and price on its product page. For Wegovy, the dose ladder is 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg and 2.4mg once weekly, stepping up after at least 4 weeks and reaching the 2.4mg maintenance dose from week 17.

So-called natural GLP-1 supplements, such as berberine, are not medicines. They are not regulated for this use and have no comparable trial evidence. They are available cheaply without assessment or clinical oversight, and that is a safety point rather than a saving. Dosing is not standardised.

Finally, 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.

To compare against a generic-style metformin route, see our metformin and Mounjaro monthly cost guide. For another alternative, Duromine and Mounjaro compared explains where that option stands.

10 · Buying safely

Buying safely: counterfeits and checks

Price hunting is where most people get caught, so verify the seller before you compare cost. 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, never from social media, beauty salons or unverified websites.¹² Genuine treatment always involves a prescription and a clinical consultation. A seller offering to supply without a consultation or prescription is a red flag, however attractive the price. EverydayMeds is GPhC-registered (9012878), and you can check our entry on the register.

Mounjaro is manufactured by Eli Lilly. Genuine UK stock is supplied through Lilly's official distribution to licensed pharmacies, and every pen carries a batch number and expiry date that can be checked. Our Mounjaro comes direct through official LillyDirect supply.

When your pen arrives, run through these checks. It should come from a registered pharmacy with a batch number and expiry date, arrive cold-chain packaged, and the solution inside should be clear and colourless. Do not use a pen that has been frozen, looks cloudy or discoloured, has particles in it, is past its expiry, or has been out of the fridge for more than 30 days, or above 30°C in use. If supply or packaging ever seems wrong, check the pharmacy on the GPhC register and contact the pharmacy before injecting.

The same caution applies to Saxenda or any other injectable. If a deal looks far below what regulated pharmacies charge, ask why. A low price on a prescription medicine, with no consultation, is not a bargain.

Report any suspected side effect or suspect product through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. This helps regulators spot problems early, and it takes only a few minutes.

Our service is built around the reverse of the risky pattern. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full. Dispensed prescription medicines cannot be returned unless faulty, damaged or the wrong item, in which case contact us within 3 days, and refunds take 5 to 10 working days.

More than 100,000 customers have used our service on their weight loss journey. That figure reflects how many people we have supported, not how well any treatment works for you, since results vary.

11 · Switching and combining

Switching between Saxenda, Wegovy and Mounjaro

Moving from one weight-loss injection to another is a prescriber decision, not a conversion chart. 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.

The same principle applies if you are coming from Saxenda. Tell the prescriber the dose you were on, how long you took it, and how you tolerated it. They will advise what start point is safe.

If you do switch to us, a new customer gets £40 off their first order at any dose with code FIRST40, including people switching from another provider at a higher dose. Someone switching at 15mg sees a first order of £259.99. After that, every future order is £25 off the standard price (code DOSE25).

Why might someone move from Saxenda to Mounjaro? Common reasons include wanting a weekly rather than daily injection, or a prescriber's judgement about their health profile. Why might someone go the other way? Possibly because of tolerability, cost or a prescriber's judgement about their health profile. Either is legitimate, and the decision should be made with clinical advice.

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 is a semaglutide figure, not a Mounjaro or Saxenda one, but it shows why a stepped dose increase and prescriber support matter for any GLP-1 medicine.

For contraception, Mounjaro can reduce absorption of oral contraceptives because stomach emptying slows, so discuss this with your prescriber if it applies to you. 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.¹ If you use insulin or sulfonylureas, doses may need adjusting because of low blood sugar risk, which is something your prescriber will plan with you.

Ozempic is often raised in this comparison. It is semaglutide licensed for type 2 diabetes, not a UK weight-loss medicine, and prescribing it privately for weight loss is off-label. The licensed weight-management options are Mounjaro and Wegovy, so a regulated UK pharmacy will not supply Ozempic for weight loss. Our Wegovy and Mounjaro cost guide covers that comparison. For another injectable, see how Byetta and Mounjaro differ.

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