What Are the Types of GLP-1 Drugs? UK Guide (October 2026)

01 · The core answer

The main types of GLP-1 drugs in the UK

GLP-1 drugs are best sorted by active ingredient, because the brand name often depends on whether the licence is for diabetes or weight management.

Mounjaro is a once-weekly prescription injection from Eli Lilly, licensed in the UK for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes.¹ You can see the Mounjaro pen and current prices on its product page.

02 · Your next step

Which type is relevant to you?

The right type depends on your goal, your health history and what you can realistically stick to. A daily injection suits some people, while others prefer a weekly pen or a tablet.

If you want weight management, a prescriber reviews your history and recommends a medicine and dose. Our weight loss clinic starts with a free online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. For a wider tour of the class, see these GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

Related guides: Different types of glp 1 drugs and Glp 1 types of medication.

03 · Mounjaro: a dual agonist

Is Mounjaro a GLP-1 agonist?

Yes, Mounjaro is a GLP-1 agonist, but it does more than that. Tirzepatide is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1.¹ 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. This dual action distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic).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.² These are trial averages, and individual results vary.

04 · Daily, weekly and tablets

Daily injections, weekly pens and tablets

How often you take the medicine is the most practical difference between types. Liraglutide is a daily injection, supplied at 6mg/ml, unlike once-weekly Mounjaro and Wegovy.

Wegovy pens run through 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg and 2.4mg, stepping up after at least four weeks and reaching the 2.4mg maintenance dose from week 17.¹⁸ Mounjaro also starts low and steps up. Our guide to different GLP-1 types compares these routines side by side.

Tablets are the newest development. Wegovy tablets contain oral semaglutide,²⁰ while Foundayo contains orforglipron, a small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist.²¹²³ Their trial results should not be set against Mounjaro's as if they were head to head.

05 · Safety questions answered

Which GLP-1 is safest or has the fewest side effects?

No GLP-1 medicine can be called the safest for everyone. Every licensed GLP-1 medicine has its own leaflet listing side effects, and the right choice depends on your history, other medicines and goals.

A prescriber weighs those factors. If you notice a new symptom on any GLP-1, tell your prescriber and report it through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

Who should avoid GLP-1 drugs?

Mounjaro is not suitable for everyone. You should not take it if you are allergic to tirzepatide or any of its ingredients, and it should not be used during pregnancy or while trying to conceive. Your prescriber will take extra care, or may recommend against treatment, if you have a history of pancreatitis, severe gut or digestive disease, diabetic retinopathy, or gallbladder problems. Always share your full medical history and medicine list during consultation. Mounjaro must not be used during pregnancy, and it should be stopped at least one month before trying to conceive. If you become pregnant during treatment, stop the medicine and tell your prescriber promptly. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full.

What should I avoid while taking Mounjaro?

Follow the patient information leaflet and your prescriber's advice. Mounjaro is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, so it works best as part of that plan rather than in place of it.¹³ Do not change your dose or combine it with other weight-loss products without asking first.

06 · The 'poor man's Ozempic'

What is the 'poor man's Ozempic'?

It is a marketing nickname for low-cost supplements, most often berberine, sold as 'nature's Ozempic'. They are not medicines, are not regulated for this use and have no comparable trial evidence.

These products are available cheaply without assessment, have no clinical oversight and carry no licence for weight management. Dosing is not standardised, and dramatic weight-loss claims should be treated with caution. If cost is the concern, ask a prescriber about licensed options rather than a supplement.

07 · Downsides and NHS access

What is the downside of GLP-1 drugs?

The main downsides are side effects, the cost of private treatment, and the fact that the effect depends on staying on treatment. Side effects differ by medicine and are listed in each leaflet, so read yours before starting.

After a final dose of Mounjaro it takes roughly four to five weeks to clear the system, and there is no way to speed this up.¹ Our guide to current GLP-1 drugs keeps the wider picture up to date.

Can you get GLP-1 drugs 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.

For Wegovy, NHS access runs through specialist weight-management services; ask your GP.

08 · 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