Thinking of Making the Switch to Wegovy? Here's the Honest Picture

What does switching to Wegovy actually mean, compared to staying on tirzepatide?

Wegovy contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) activates both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors, making it the only dual-agonist weight-loss medicine currently licensed in the UK. That distinction matters when comparing results. In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2025), tirzepatide produced greater average weight reduction than semaglutide 2.4mg over 72 weeks. The STEP 1 trial showed semaglutide 2.4mg achieved roughly 15% average weight loss at 68 weeks; the SURMOUNT-1 trial put tirzepatide 15mg at around 20-21%. So on the numbers alone, Wegovy typically produces somewhat less weight loss than tirzepatide at maximum doses.

That said, individual response varies considerably. Some people tolerate semaglutide better; some prefer a single-pathway medicine; some have a clinical reason their prescriber is recommending a switch. The newer 7.2mg Wegovy pen, approved by the MHRA in April 2026, narrows the gap further, with trials reporting around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks. Learn more about whether switching to Wegovy makes sense for your situation.

If you're moving from Ozempic rather than Mounjaro, the situation is different again. Ozempic is also semaglutide, but it's licensed for type 2 diabetes, not weight management. Wegovy is the weight-management-licensed form of the same molecule, at a higher maintenance dose. That distinction is clinical and legal, not cosmetic. Our page on Wegovy versus Ozempic covers this in full.

Does switching to Wegovy mean restarting the dose titration from scratch?

Usually, yes. When switching between GLP-1 medicines, or starting Wegovy for the first time, the standard approach is to begin at 0.25mg and titrate upward, typically in four-weekly steps, through 0.5mg, 1.0mg, 1.7mg and 2.4mg, with 7.2mg now available as a further maintenance option. This isn't bureaucratic caution, it's how GI side effects are managed. Starting at a maintenance dose without titration significantly increases the risk of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

If you're moving from the Wegovy injection to the oral semaglutide tablet (Wegovy tablets, approved by the MHRA in June 2026 as the first oral GLP-1 licensed for weight management in the UK), the situation is slightly different: patients already established on 2.4mg weekly injection may be able to move directly to the 25mg tablet dose, subject to their prescriber's assessment. But that is a clinical judgement, not a default. The practical guide to switching to Wegovy covers the process step by step.

The side-effect profile on Wegovy is broadly similar to other GLP-1 medicines, nausea, constipation, indigestion and fatigue are the most commonly reported, most pronounced after dose increases, and typically settling within a couple of weeks. A real clinician reviews your history before any switch is approved through nume; our clinical team takes this oversight seriously. For the full prescribing picture, the NHS semaglutide medicines page is a reliable starting point.

How does switching to Wegovy from Saxenda work?

Saxenda is liraglutide, a once-daily GLP-1 injection for weight management. Wegovy is once-weekly semaglutide. Both are GLP-1 receptor agonists, but they're different molecules with different dosing schedules and somewhat different tolerability profiles. People switching from Saxenda to Wegovy often do so because of injection frequency, or because their prescriber thinks semaglutide is a better fit.

The switch itself requires a wash-out plan and a new titration on Wegovy from the starting dose; there's no direct dose-equivalence conversion between liraglutide and semaglutide. Our detailed page on how to switch from Saxenda to Wegovy covers the practicalities. Note that nume does not dispense Saxenda, so if you're currently on liraglutide, this is worth discussing with whoever currently prescribes it before transferring to a new provider. The NICE technology appraisal for Wegovy (TA875) provides the clinical background on semaglutide for weight management.

Transfer patients switching to Wegovy through nume will be asked to provide evidence of their current treatment, dose, duration and prescriber details. This isn't administrative box-ticking; it's how our prescribers assess whether the switch is safe and what starting dose is appropriate.

How do the costs compare when you switch to Wegovy?

Cost depends heavily on dose and provider. Since Eli Lilly raised Mounjaro's UK list price in September 2025, private tirzepatide has typically ranged from around £149 to £375 per month depending on dose and supplier. Wegovy pricing varies similarly by dose and provider. Neither is cheap at maintenance doses, and as widely reported, the higher doses represent a significant ongoing cost.

What varies more than the medicine price is what that price includes. Some providers charge separately for consultations, prescriptions and follow-up. At nume, one price covers the consultation, the prescription, delivery and aftercare, no subscription, no auto-renewals, no separate fees. We're not positioned as the lowest-cost option, and that's intentional. For a prescription medicine requiring clinical oversight and a verified supply chain, price alone is the wrong thing to optimise for. You can explore current treatment options on our weight-loss treatments page, or read more about Wegovy pricing in the UK.

If you're comparing Wegovy with something not licensed for weight loss (Ozempic or Rybelsus, for instance) it's worth being clear that those medicines are licensed for type 2 diabetes, not weight management. Accessing them for weight loss without a valid prescription is not a legal or safe route. Our page on switching from Ozempic to Wegovy explains what this means practically.

Which of these is better suited to you is a clinical question, not a comparison-table one. It depends on your health history, your current medicine, your tolerability and your prescriber's view. Check your eligibility and our prescribers can work through this with you.