Ozempic

Ozempic is an FDA-approved medication for treating type 2 diabetes. Its active ingredient is semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that acts like the GLP-1 hormone released in the digestive tract when eating. This weight-regulating hormone “signals fullness to the brain, delays stomach emptying and lowers blood sugar,” says Rekha Kumar, chief medical officer at the medically-assisted weight loss program, Found, and practicing endocrinologist in New York City.

The medication is available by prescription only and is used as a weekly injection to help with blood sugar management and help reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke in people with type 2 diabetes. Since semaglutide has shown effectiveness in reducing body weight for those with overweight or obesity, Ozempic may also aid in weight loss. However, Ozempic itself is not FDA approved to treat weight loss alone in patients without a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Wegovy

Wegovy is another injectable medication made with semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic). It’s approved by the FDA for weight management in people with a body mass index or BMI of 27 who have another weight-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes, or those with a BMI of 30 or higher. In recent research, semaglutide showed a higher effectiveness for weight loss than older medications, with the potential for a 15% weight loss after 68 weeks in adults with a BMI of 30 or greater[1].

Like Ozempic, Wegovy is also prescription only and taken once a week.

Saxenda

Saxenda, like Ozempic and Wegovy, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, but it’s made with liraglutide (instead of semaglutide). The medication is also prescription-only and FDA-approved for the treatment of obesity in people aged 12 and older who weigh more than 132 pounds or adults with BMI of 30 or higher. While liraglutide may be slightly less effective than semaglutide, it’s still a potent weight loss medication that could lead to up to an 8% weight loss, says Raoul Manalac, M.D., the senior director of clinical experience at RO, a company offering at-home medical weight loss treatment.

Liraglutide works by helping to decrease appetite and slow the emptying of the stomach, which causes feelings of fullness and leads to lower calorie intake.

Saxenda is a daily injection, while Ozempic and Wegovy are weekly injections.