What Is the Name of the Diabetes Weight Loss Drug? (October 2026)

01 · The names

The main diabetes drugs used for weight loss

The two names you will see most are Mounjaro and Ozempic. Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine made by Eli Lilly, licensed in the UK for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes.¹

Ozempic is semaglutide licensed for type 2 diabetes only; it is not a UK weight-loss medicine, and prescribing it privately for weight loss is off-label. The licensed weight-management options are Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg).

02 · What to do next

Is this relevant to you?

If you have type 2 diabetes, tell your prescriber and your usual diabetes team so care stays joined up.¹ If you do not have diabetes, the same medicines can still be prescribed for weight management where you meet the licensed criteria. Our guide on how to get a diabetes drug for weight loss explains the route, and you can see the Mounjaro pen, with the 2.5mg starting pen at a standard £169.99 per month, if you are ready to start a free consultation.

Related guides: What's the diabetes weight loss drug and New diabetes drug for weight loss.

03 · How they work

How these drugs work

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.¹ In practice, most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.¹

That is why a drug first developed for blood sugar can also change body weight. For a fuller explanation, read how Mounjaro works for diabetes.

04 · Diabetes licence

Diabetes licence versus weight licence

Mounjaro is licensed for type 2 diabetes, where it improves blood sugar control (HbA1c) and supports weight loss.¹ It is also licensed for weight management, used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Individual results vary.

05 · NHS access

NHS access

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.

If you go private, choose a pharmacy on the public register. We are GPhC-registered (9012878), and every prescription is reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. See our weight loss clinic for how that works.

06 · Counterfeit risk

Buying safely

These are prescription-only medicines. Anyone offering to supply them without a consultation or prescription is a warning sign, and the MHRA publishes counterfeit medicine alerts.⁷ Report any suspected side effect through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹ Our Mounjaro comes through official LillyDirect supply, and you can order a weight loss drug like Mounjaro online in the UK through a free consultation.

07 · 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