Medical Review by Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP, DipABOM
Summary
- Ozempic® is FDA-approved for treating type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy® is FDA-approved for weight management in adults who are overweight with >1 weight-related comorbidity or obese.
- Wegovy® contains a higher dosage of semaglutide compared to Ozempic®. Both drugs have the same active ingredient and work in the same way but were developed and approved for different purposes (weight loss vs. blood sugar control).
- Because both medications are semaglutide, just in different dosages, they have similar side effect profiles. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- Rare or severe side effects can include hypoglycemia, acute pancreatitis,, an increased heart rate, gallstones, possible kidney damage, thyroid cancer risk, and an increased risk of diabetic retinopathy. Wegovy® may also cause headache, fatigue, and hair loss.
- Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider before obtaining or using either medication, and use them only as prescribed.
Ozempic® & Wegovy® both use semaglutide—but they aren’t exactly alike
Ozempic® and Wegovy® are two GLP-1 agonist medications that are currently getting a lot of media attention—but while they both use semaglutide, there are important differences between them.
We’ve put together this comparison to help you understand more about both medications. Use this information to have better conversations with your healthcare provider and make informed decisions for your long-term wellness.
How semaglutide & other GLP-1 agonists work
Semaglutide (the active ingredient in both Ozempic® and Wegovy®) is a type of medication called a GLP-1 agonist. GLP-1 agonists work by mimicking a natural hormone called GLP-1, which helps control blood sugar levels.
Your body normally releases GLP-1 when you eat, which tells your pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin helps lower blood sugar by allowing cells to take in glucose.
In people with type 2 diabetes, this process often doesn’t work well, so GLP-1 agonists help by boosting insulin production when needed. But they have other effects as well—like making you feel less hungry.
Why people use Ozempic® & Wegovy®
Although Ozempic® and Wegovy® both use semaglutide, they are FDA-approved for different uses. Here are the intended uses of each medication:
- Ozempic® is FDA-approved for treating type 2 diabetes by lowering your blood sugar levels if other approaches like diet and exercise aren’t enough on their own. Learn more by reading our Ozempic® guide here.
- Wegovy® is FDA-approved for weight management in adults who are overweight with >1 weight-related comorbidity or obese. It helps with weight loss by slowing gastric emptying and sending signals to the parts of your brain that tell you when you are full. Learn more by reading our Wegovy® guide here.
Both Ozempic® and Wegovy® work by being injected under the skin. They are only available with a prescription. That means you’ll need to talk with a qualified healthcare practitioner before you can obtain and use them.
What makes Ozempic® & Wegovy® different
So if both medications contain semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist), then why are they used for different things? Why aren’t they interchangeable?
The answer is that Wegovy® contains more semaglutide than Ozempic® does. This is due to the fact that both medications were initially developed for different purposes.
The development process for Ozempic® focused on finding the amount of semaglutide that was most effective for lowering blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, while the development process for Wegovy® focused on finding the amount of semaglutide that was best for weight loss. For this reason, the trials for Wegovy® focused on adults without diabetes, while the trials for Ozempic® focused on patients with type 2 diabetes.
Warning: Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors
Wegovy® and Ozempic® have been linked to a risk of thyroid C-cell tumors based on animal studies. Specifically, in rodent studies, semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy® and Ozempic®, have been shown to cause thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures. Although the risk to humans has not been conclusively established, it is essential to be aware of the following precautionary measures.
Side effects for semaglutide
Since Ozempic® and Wegovy® use different amounts of semaglutide, understanding its side effects and only taking either of these medications in the amount prescribed to you by a healthcare provider is an essential part of using them appropriately. Here’s a breakdown of the side effects semaglutide can have:
Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Rare or Severe Side Effects
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Acute pancreatitis (not linked to pancreatic cancer)
- Thyroid cancer (an increased risk in people taking semaglutide for 1-3 years)
- Increased risk of gallstones
- Increase in heart rate (this is not linked to adverse cardiac events—in fact, research shows that semaglutide can actually have beneficial effects on your heart while you’re taking it)
- Possible risk of kidney damage—although some research suggests that semaglutide could lower the risk of kidney disease in diabetic patients
- Increased risk of diabetic retinopathy (DRP) in patients who already have DRP and whose glucose levels change rapidly
Mild allergic reactions are also possible at the injection site—so it’s important to inject either medication carefully and check the site often to make sure it isn’t irritated.
Additional side effects for Wegovy®
Wegovy®, which has a higher concentration of semaglutide than Ozempic® may have several additional side effects. These include more common side effects like headache and fatigue, as well as hair loss.
It’s important to note that these are not all the possible side effects of either medication, and that research into both medications is still ongoing. Always talk to your primary care provider and make sure you understand the risks before trying either Ozempic® or Wegovy®.
Ozempic® vs. Wegovy® at a glance
Based on the information above, here’s a quick comparison chart to help you understand what each of these medications are for—as well as what makes them different:
| Ozempic® | Wegovy® | |
| Active Ingredient | Semaglutide | Semaglutide |
| Maximum Dose | 2mg | 2.4 mg |
| Method of Administration | Injection | Injection |
| FDA-Approved Use | Lowering blood sugar for patients with type 2 diabetes (when other methods have failed) | Weight loss or management in overweight or obese adults and children age 12 or older |
| Common Side Effects | NauseaVomitingDiarrhea | NauseaVomitingDiarrheaHeadacheFatigue |
| Rare Side Effects | Low blood sugarAcute pancreatitisThyroid cancerGallstonesIncreased heart ratePossible kidney damageIncreased risk of diabetic retinopathy | Low blood sugarAcute pancreatitisThyroid cancerGallstonesIncreased heart ratePossible kidney damageIncreased risk of diabetic retinopathyHair loss (most likely due to stress) |
Learn more about Ozempic® & Wegovy® with Lemonaid Health
Semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists have several valid uses, and it’s natural to be curious about what medications like Ozempic® and Wegovy® might be able to do for you if you have either type 2 diabetes or are struggling to manage your weight. But it’s also important to understand the risks that come with these medications—and to remember that Ozempic® and Wegovy® are different formulations of semaglutide with different uses.
Talking to a healthcare professional can help you learn more about whether either of these medications are right for you.
Lemonaid Health can help you access online consultations with US-based medical professionals to answer your questions about either of these medications and take appropriate next steps. Get started with a visit here.
Wegovy® and Ozempic® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Novo Nordisk is a registered trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S.
