Tirzepatide vs Semaglutide for Inflammation and hs-CRP (October 2026)

01 · The short verdict

Which is better for hs-CRP: tirzepatide or semaglutide?

Neither can be named the winner for hs-CRP.

Ranges from separate trials are not a comparison. SURPASS-2 did compare tirzepatide with semaglutide directly, in adults with type 2 diabetes.³

The honest, evidence-based split is on weight management and your own health profile, not on a blood marker.

• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is licensed for weight management; it had the larger average loss in the first large head-to-head obesity trial, SURMOUNT-5, though your prescriber decides what suits you.¹⁵
• Semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy) suits adults whose prescriber prefers it, who have tolerated it before, or who are already established on it. It is a licensed, effective option with its own large trial, STEP 1.⁹
• Neither is a licensed anti-inflammatory. If inflammation or an autoimmune condition is your main concern, that is a conversation for your GP or specialist.

02 · Side by side

Tirzepatide vs semaglutide: comparison table

Prices are per month (one 4-week pen) and checked 11 October 2026. For a fuller cost view, see our tirzepatide vs semaglutide cost guide.

03 · Deciding

How to decide between them

Decide on the factors that are evidenced and personal to you. Tolerance, your medical history and prescriber advice carry far more weight than an inflammation headline.

SURMOUNT-5 states that both are effective, licensed treatments, and that which suits you depends on your health profile, tolerance and prescriber advice, not the headline number alone.¹⁵ The head-to-head weight-loss breakdown goes deeper on SURMOUNT-5.

If you are ready to explore Mounjaro, the Mounjaro pen costs £169.99 at the 2.5mg starting dose, and all six doses are in stock. Wegovy is available via the Wegovy pen. A free consultation is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber, who decides which, if either, is appropriate.

04 · Why no CRP winner

Why there is no hs-CRP winner

You will see quoted ranges online: one percentage range for tirzepatide, another for semaglutide, each said to be versus placebo. Those are separate comparisons against separate placebo groups. Putting them next to each other looks like a head-to-head, but it is not one. Differences in participants, in doses and in how long people were treated can all move a number.

Only SURMOUNT-5 is a direct tirzepatide-versus-semaglutide comparison in people with obesity, and its reported results are about weight, not CRP.¹⁵ SURPASS-2 was a direct comparison of the two in adults with type 2 diabetes.³ If a page quotes hs-CRP figures from it, check that the page names the trial, the dose and the time point.

05 · Reading CRP claims

How to read an inflammation claim critically

Treat any claim that one GLP-1 medicine "beats" another on inflammation as unproven until it names a head-to-head trial. Five quick checks help.

• Which trial? A named trial can be looked up. "Studies show" cannot.
• Compared with what? Placebo, lifestyle changes or the other medicine are three different questions.
• Which dose and how long? A result at one dose and duration does not transfer to another.
• Who took part? People with type 2 diabetes and people with obesity alone are different groups.
• Is it a blood marker or a health outcome? A change in a lab value is not the same as fewer symptoms or better long-term health.

Be most sceptical of pages that pair a percentage for one drug with a percentage for the other and call the bigger one "stronger".

The same discipline applies to the question "which GLP-1 is best for anti-inflammatory?". It presumes these medicines are licensed or prescribed for inflammation. They are not. Mounjaro is licensed for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes,¹ and Wegovy is the licensed semaglutide for weight management.¹⁸

06 · Weight-loss evidence

The weight-loss evidence

The two medicines differ most clearly in average weight loss. In SURMOUNT-5, 751 adults took tirzepatide or semaglutide 2.4mg for 72 weeks. Tirzepatide averaged 20.2% body-weight loss versus 13.7% for semaglutide, and average loss was 22.8 kg versus 15.0 kg.¹⁵

The threshold results in that trial were: at least 10% lost by 81.6% on tirzepatide versus 60.5% on semaglutide; at least 15% by 64.6% versus 40.1%; at least 20% by 48.4% versus 27.3%; and at least 25% by 31.6% versus 16.1%.¹⁵ These are trial averages, and individual results vary.

Each medicine also has its own large trial. In SURMOUNT-1 (2,539 adults), people on tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of 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 In STEP 1, adults on semaglutide 2.4mg lost on average 14.9% over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo.⁹

Those two separate trials should not be set against each other; SURMOUNT-5 is the direct comparison. As a worked example, for someone starting at 100 kg, 20.2% is about 20 kg and 13.7% is about 14 kg. Both medicines work alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.

07 · Mechanism and tolerance

Mechanism, dosing and tolerance

Tirzepatide activates two gut-hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1, while semaglutide is a single-action GLP-1 medicine.¹ Together these actions help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties and improve the way the body responds to insulin. Most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals.

That dual action is what distinguishes Mounjaro from semaglutide.

Dosing differs too. Mounjaro comes in six strengths, 2.5mg to 15mg. Wegovy steps through 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg and 1.7mg, with at least 4 weeks on each, and the 2.4mg maintenance dose starts from week 17.¹⁸ The licensed maintenance dose for weight management is 2.4mg.

On tolerance, STEP 1 reported gastrointestinal side effects in 74.2% of people on semaglutide 2.4mg versus 47.9% on placebo, and 7.0% stopped treatment because of side effects versus 3.1% on placebo.⁹ Tolerance is individual, and it is one reason a prescriber may favour one medicine over the other for you.

08 · Inflammation questions

Chronic inflammation and autoimmune questions

Mounjaro and Wegovy are not licensed treatments for autoimmune disease or chronic inflammation.

Tell your GP or specialist about every medicine you take. Never run two GLP-1 medicines together, and Mounjaro must not be combined with unlicensed "research" peptides or compounded copies, which have no safety data and no regulated supply chain.

Likewise, if you notice new symptoms after starting any medicine, discuss them with your prescriber and report suspected side effects through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

For readers whose inflammation question comes from a condition such as hidradenitis suppurativa, see our page on HS and Mounjaro.

09 · Switching and access

Switching, tablets and NHS access

There is no licensed direct conversion between semaglutide and tirzepatide, so any switch is done 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, often the 2.5mg starting dose.¹ Never run two GLP-1 medicines together.

Switching at 15mg, your first order is £289.99.

There is no tablet form of Mounjaro; tirzepatide is injection-only in the UK. Two GLP-1 weight-loss tablets are now licensed: Wegovy tablets (oral semaglutide, approved by the MHRA in June 2026) and Foundayo (orforglipron, approved in August 2026). They are different medicines with their own dosing and trial results, so they should not be compared with Mounjaro's trial results as if head to head. See our Foundayo vs semaglutide pill guide, and see current Wegovy tablet prices on the product page.

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, 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.

10 · 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

11 · Ordering with us

How ordering works if you choose Mounjaro

Ordering takes three steps, and a prescriber decides whether treatment is suitable for you.

• Free online consultation: a short health questionnaire, no charge and no obligation.
• Prescriber review: 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.
• Dispatch and delivery: dispensed by our registered pharmacy, with same-day dispatch when ordered by 3pm and free next-day tracked delivery in temperature-controlled packaging. Saturday delivery is £14.99.

Our Mounjaro is supplied through official LillyDirect supply, direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution, as genuine KwikPens. Ongoing monthly clinical reviews are included, and repeat orders re-check suitability with no auto-shipping. See all weight loss treatments we offer. Mounjaro is a prescription-only medicine used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, and individual results vary. This page is information, not a substitute for medical advice.