All the names for semaglutide — and what each one actually means

Why does semaglutide have so many names?

Semaglutide is the international non-proprietary name, the generic, scientific label for the molecule. Pharmaceutical companies give their formulations brand names, and the same molecule can appear under different names when it is packaged differently, dosed differently, or approved for a different medical purpose. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer, developed semaglutide first as a once-weekly injection for type 2 diabetes (Ozempic), then as a daily tablet for diabetes (Rybelsus), and later in a higher-dose injection format specifically for weight management (Wegovy). More recently, they reformulated it as an oral tablet for weight loss, also called Wegovy, but in a very different dose to the injection.

So when you see the various brand names for semaglutide listed together, the differences between them are clinically meaningful, not cosmetic. The active ingredient is the same molecule. The licensed indication, the dose range, and the route of administration are different for each product. Reaching for the wrong one (or being sold the wrong one) carries real clinical risk.

The NHS medicines page for semaglutide covers the key patient-facing information across these products and is a useful starting reference.

What is Wegovy, and how is it different from Ozempic?

Wegovy is the brand name for semaglutide in its weight-management-licensed form. The injection version is dosed up to 2.4 mg weekly (with a higher 7.2 mg maintenance dose approved by the MHRA in early 2026). It is licensed for adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above alongside a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance.

Ozempic contains exactly the same molecule but is approved only for type 2 diabetes. Its maximum dose is lower, and it is not licensed, assessed or approved for weight management. Prescribing Ozempic for weight loss would be off-label, and supplying it to someone without diabetes, or promoting it for weight loss, falls outside the MHRA's position on these medicines. The confusion between the two names is partly why counterfeit pens bearing the Ozempic label were seized in large numbers by the MHRA from 2023 onwards: people searching for a weight-loss medicine were being sold fakes.

If you want to read more about how these Wegovy names and their distinctions have evolved, that page goes into further detail.

What is the Wegovy pill, and is Rybelsus the same thing?

On 11 June 2026 the MHRA approved the Wegovy tablet, making it the first oral GLP-1 medicine licensed for weight management in the UK, and the first such approval in Europe. It uses the same semaglutide molecule but co-formulated with an absorption enhancer called SNAC that allows it to work when swallowed rather than injected. The dose ladder is 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg, and 25 mg, with at least a month at each step before moving up.

Rybelsus is also oral semaglutide, but its 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg tablet strengths are approved only for type 2 diabetes. The dose ranges do not overlap. Calling Rybelsus a weight-loss tablet would be inaccurate and potentially harmful. The two are entirely separate products with separate licences, even though the core molecule is the same. The other names associated with semaglutide (including Rybelsus) are explained in more detail for anyone researching this question.

The Wegovy tablet is not yet available on the NHS and would require a NICE technology appraisal before NHS commissioning could begin. At the moment it is only available through a private prescription following clinical assessment. Cost context for injectable Wegovy is covered on our Wegovy cost page, which also explains what a legitimate private prescription includes.

Does semaglutide go by any other names in the UK?

Beyond the four brand names above, you may come across a few other terms. "GLP-1" or "GLP-1 receptor agonist" describes the class of drug semaglutide belongs to, it mimics the action of a gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1. "Weight-loss injection" or "weight-loss jab" are colloquial descriptions sometimes used in press coverage, not clinical names. Zepbound is a name that occasionally appears in UK searches: it is the US brand name for tirzepatide (a different molecule), does not exist as a UK product, and should not be confused with any semaglutide product.

There is also sometimes confusion with the drug name conventions for semaglutide when people encounter clinical literature or pharmacy packaging that uses the INN (international non-proprietary name) rather than a brand. If you see "semaglutide" on a prescription, it means a prescriber has specified the molecule; the pharmacy then dispenses the appropriate licensed brand for the approved indication, and questions about specific doses, such as what 40 units of semaglutide means in practice, are best clarified with your prescriber at that stage. A prescriber can explore the weight-loss treatment options relevant to your health picture during a consultation and confirm which product, if any, is right for you. To get that process started, you can begin your free consultation with our prescribers today.