Wegovy and Mounjaro dose comparison: what the clinical evidence shows

What the dose ladders actually look like side by side

Mounjaro's licensed schedule begins at 2.5mg, a four-week period whose purpose is to let your body settle, not to produce significant weight loss yet. From there, a prescriber typically steps you up through 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg and 12.5mg, with the ceiling at 15mg. Six possible strengths in total, each supplied as a once-weekly pre-filled KwikPen. Wegovy's schedule is structured differently: 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg, then 2.4mg, with a newly approved 7.2mg as the maximum since the MHRA's 14 April 2026 sign-off on a dedicated single-dose pen.

That gap between the two top doses (15mg tirzepatide versus 7.2mg semaglutide) reflects the different molecules involved, not that one pen simply contains more medicine than the other, and if you want to understand exactly how each Wegovy dose compares to Mounjaro across the full schedule, that breakdown is worth reading before your consultation. Tirzepatide is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist; semaglutide targets the GLP-1 pathway alone. The comparison at equivalent clinical ceiling doses is what the trials measured, and the results are on the table below.

A note on the 7.2mg figure: Wegovy at its new higher dose narrows the gap with tirzepatide considerably. That data is still maturing in practice, and the MHRA's April 2026 approval applies only to adults with a BMI of 30 or above, not the lower 27-plus threshold.

Which dose a prescriber might reach for, and why

Dose selection in practice is shaped by more than the trial averages. Your starting point, your tolerability at each step, your response at the first maintenance strength, and any other medicines you take all feed into the conversation. The formal guidance from NICE's appraisal of tirzepatide (TA1026) notes that treatment should be reviewed if less than 5% weight loss is achieved after six months at the highest tolerated dose, the same logic applies to Wegovy under TA875.

In the SURMOUNT-5 trial, tirzepatide produced greater average weight reduction than semaglutide 2.4mg over 72 weeks in adults with obesity and no diabetes. That head-to-head finding is the strongest direct comparison available, and our page covering how Wegovy's doses compare to Mounjaro's sets out what those differences mean at each individual step of the schedule. What it cannot tell you is which medicine you as an individual will tolerate better, which fits your lifestyle, or whether you might achieve excellent results at a lower rung of either schedule. Our detailed dosage comparison between Wegovy and Mounjaro walks through each strength in more depth.

One practical aside worth mentioning: if you're planning a dose review around a bank holiday or a stretch away from the fridge, timing matters more than people expect. Same-day dispatch only runs Monday to Friday before 12pm, so a Monday order after a long weekend is worth flagging with our team. Our prescribers handle queries like this through aftercare support, seven days a week.

Side-effect profiles at higher doses, what the data shows

Both medicines carry a predominantly gastrointestinal side-effect profile. Nausea, loose stools, constipation, indigestion and fatigue are the most commonly reported effects for both; they tend to be most noticeable in the first few weeks at a new dose strength and settle for most people as the body adjusts. The NHS patient information for tirzepatide and its semaglutide equivalent both describe this pattern and list the signs that need prompt medical attention.

At higher doses, gastrointestinal effects can be more pronounced. This is one reason prescribers move through the schedule gradually rather than jumping to the ceiling dose early. Whether someone reaches 15mg on Mounjaro or 7.2mg on Wegovy is not assumed in advance; it depends on how each step is tolerated, and our guide to Wegovy dose vs Mounjaro explains the clinical reasoning behind how those ceilings were set. Stopping a dose increase, or staying at a lower maintenance dose, is a recognised clinical choice rather than a failure.

You can read more about how the two medicines sit alongside each other clinically in our broader Wegovy vs Mounjaro overview, which covers mechanism, eligibility and access in more detail. For the cost dimension, our tirzepatide versus semaglutide cost comparison sets out what private pricing looks like across the dose range.

The clinical decision: which prescription follows the evidence, not just the headline

Neither medicine is automatically the right choice. Mounjaro has the stronger head-to-head weight-loss trial data at ceiling doses; Wegovy at 7.2mg is closing the gap; the oral semaglutide tablet now offers a needle-free route where the weekly injection is a barrier. Your medical history, any existing prescriptions, contraceptive method, and whether you've previously tried either medicine all carry weight in the decision.

At nume, a named clinician on our clinical team reads every consultation personally (not a scoring algorithm) and the same-day review means that decision can move quickly once you've submitted. If you want to understand the full treatment landscape before committing, our weight-loss treatment overview is a good place to start. Or, if you already know you want to proceed and check whether you're clinically suitable, you can check your eligibility and begin your free consultation today.

Which medicine suits you is a clinical decision our prescribers make with you, not one a dose table alone can answer.