Weight loss drugs like Wegovy: what the UK actually offers

The biggest misconception: Wegovy is in a class of its own

Most people searching for drugs like Wegovy assume the phrase is a search for an alternative, something cheaper, easier to get, or interchangeable. The reality is more useful: Wegovy is one of three distinct licensed options, and which suits a particular person is a clinical question with a real answer, not a matter of availability lottery.

Wegovy (semaglutide, by Novo Nordisk) works by activating GLP-1 receptors in the gut and brain. Those receptors help regulate appetite and slow the rate at which the stomach empties. The weekly injection has been available in the UK since 2023; the MHRA approved a higher 7.2mg maintenance dose in January 2026, and a dedicated single-dose 7.2mg pen followed in April 2026. In the STEP 1 trial (68 weeks, semaglutide 2.4mg) participants lost around 15% of body weight on average, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide, by Eli Lilly) is the other injectable option. It is the only dual-agonist medicine licensed for weight management in the UK, hitting both GIP and GLP-1 receptors simultaneously. SURMOUNT-1 trial data showed average reductions of around 20–21% of body weight at the highest dose over 72 weeks. In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head trial, tirzepatide produced greater average weight reduction than semaglutide 2.4mg. Neither of those figures is a guarantee for any individual, but the gap is clinically notable. You can read more on the comparison between Wegovy and other weight loss drugs.

Then there are the Wegovy tablets, approved by the MHRA on 11 June 2026, the first oral GLP-1 medicine licensed for weight management anywhere in Europe. No injection, no refrigeration, no sharps disposal. One tablet first thing in the morning, before anything else passes your lips. The trial average was around 13.6% weight loss over 64 weeks; among participants who stayed fully adherent, that figure rose to roughly 17%.

Which of these drugs can actually be prescribed for weight loss, and which ones can't

This matters because semaglutide causes genuine confusion. There are three semaglutide products on the UK market: Wegovy injection, Wegovy tablets, and Ozempic. Only the first two are licensed for weight management. Ozempic is licensed for type 2 diabetes. Rybelsus is also oral semaglutide, licensed for type 2 diabetes at doses of 3mg, 7mg and 14mg, none of which are part of the Wegovy tablet weight-loss schedule. Prescribing Ozempic or Rybelsus for weight loss would be off-label, and the NHS medicines page for semaglutide is clear that Wegovy is the licensed weight management form.

Saxenda (liraglutide) is a GLP-1 injection that is licensed for weight management in the UK but is an older medicine with a different dosing structure and broadly lower average trial results. It is not dispensed by nume. Orlistat, a lipase inhibitor (not a GLP-1), is available as a pharmacy or prescription medicine and works by blocking fat absorption rather than acting on appetite pathways. For a closer look at the semaglutide family specifically, the semaglutide-class drugs page covers the distinctions in detail.

Eligibility for the licensed options broadly requires a BMI of 30 or above, or a BMI of 27 or above alongside at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds can apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. The full picture is always for a prescriber to judge, BMI alone does not determine suitability.

What the cost landscape looks like, and why price alone is the wrong guide

GLP-1 weight loss medicines are not cheap. Eli Lilly raised Mounjaro's UK list price from 1 September 2025; the highest-dose pen's list price moved from around £122 to around £330, and private prices across providers have typically ranged roughly £149–£375 per month depending on dose and service. Any legitimate price includes a prescription following clinical assessment. If a listing does not, that is a serious red flag.

The MHRA has warned repeatedly about counterfeit weight loss pens sold online, some have contained insulin rather than the stated medicine, with hospitalisations resulting. Fake pens have no clinical oversight, no verified supply chain, and no comeback. For anyone comparing costs, the cost context for Wegovy in the UK explains what legitimate pricing actually reflects. And for an overview of what different treatments involve, the weight loss treatments page is a practical starting point.

At nume, our prescribers review every consultation the same day it arrives, a real clinician reads your answers, not software. Treatment is dispatched the same day where approved before midday, and arrives free the next working day in plain packaging. Prices are transparent and all-inclusive: consultation, prescription, delivery and 7-day aftercare. No subscriptions. Every repeat is clinically reviewed again before it goes out. You can verify us on the GPhC register at registration number 9012878.

Choosing between these options: what a prescriber considers

The choice between injectable and oral, between semaglutide and tirzepatide, is not a consumer preference question in the way choosing a shampoo is. A prescriber looks at your full medical history, other medicines you take, your lifestyle, your previous experience with weight management, and your own priorities. Someone who travels frequently and dislikes needles may find the tablet genuinely more practical, no fridge required, fits in a handbag without an ice pack. Someone with a history of certain gastrointestinal conditions may not be suitable for any of these medicines.

Oral absorption of the Wegovy tablet can be affected by food or other medicines taken too close together, which is why the 30-minute morning window before food or drink matters. The tirzepatide injection has a different interaction profile: women taking oral contraceptives are advised to add a non-oral method for the first four weeks of treatment and for four weeks after each dose increase, because absorption of the pill may be reduced. These are not details to skim over, they are the kind of thing a good clinical review surfaces before you start, not after.

The Wegovy drug page covers the semaglutide injection in detail, while the Wegovy overview is the broader starting point for that treatment. For the wider GLP-1 class in context, this page on Wegovy-class weight loss drugs maps the landscape. If you are ready to find out which option fits your situation, check your eligibility with our prescribers, the consultation is free.