One major difference between Ozempic and Mounjaro after users face side-effects of drugs

The use of GLP-1 medication has skyrocketed in the last few years, but while you might think drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are the same, there’s one key difference between them.

The popularity of the drugs that can help you to lose weight became significant when many celebrities - including James Corden and Rebel Wilson - revealed they got their hands on the injections and showed off the amazing results.

Some managed to drop a huge amount of weight, while others used it to maintain the weight they lost through exercise.

But when we think about Ozempic and Mounjaro, typically, it’s all lumped together as if it’s one product - and that’s not the case.

How do Ozempic and Mounjaro work?

Mounjaro and Ozempic work in similar ways - they suppress appetite by mimicking hormones that signal your brain to feel full.

It also aids in slowing digestion as both drugs work to slow down the rate at which food leaves the stomach, giving the user that fuller feeling for longer.

This then means that they're eating less and consuming fewer calories, which puts them into a calorie deficit to lose weight.

But it can also improve the body’s response to insulin to help regulate blood sugar levels and fat storage.

Mounjaro and Ozempic have one major difference (Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)

What are they both used for?

It's important to note that Ozempic is not a weight loss medication, and is only prescribed for people with Type-2 diabetes. It is not officially approved for weight loss in the UK.

However, Mounjaro is approved to be prescribed for weight loss purposes by the NHS.

According to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the drugs can be prescribed to adults with Type-2 diabetes to help control blood glucose levels.

They can also be used by adults with a BMI of 30+, or even a BMI of 27+ if they also have at least one psychological or weight-related health condition.

But Mounjaro and Ozempic are not recommended for people with type 1 diabetes, a history of medullary thyroid cancer or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2, pancreatitis or severe gastrointestinal disease due to their risks.

Ozempic is not registered as a weight loss drug (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

What’s the one difference between the two?

While very similar, the main difference is in the ingredients list.

This is because the active ingredients in the medications are different, which then goes on to affect how they work.

Ozempic contains semaglutide, which targets GLP-1 receptors to help manage blood sugar levels.

Unlike Ozempic, Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, which targets both GLP-1 and GIP receptors for better blood sugar control and appetite regulation.

So, one tackles blood sugars for type 2 diabetes, while the other controls blood sugars and makes the user feel fuller for longer.

Side effects of Ozempic vs. Mounjaro

The side effects of both Mounjaro and Ozempic are quite similar, with gastrointestinal issues being listed as the most common users may face.

Both cite nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea as things people can experience, but it all depends on the individual user.

Some might be fine on Ozempic, but find that Mounjaro isn’t making them feel great, and vice versa.

A lot of people have reported horrid side effects from either drug, from it making them feel sick to facing hair loss. But that doesn’t mean everyone will experience the same thing.

Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, said to Tyla in a statement: “Ozempic® (semaglutide injection) is licensed for the treatment of diabetes and is not licensed for use in weight management. Semaglutide can be used as a weight management treatment in different doses and on a different titration schedule under the marketed name Wegovy® (semaglutide injection).

Side effects can be mild to moderate, or even severe - including hair loss (Getty Stock Images)

“We recommend patients take these medications for their approved indications and under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Treatment decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider who can evaluate the appropriateness of using a GLP-1 based on assessment of a patient’s individual medical profile.”

Eli Lilly, Mounjaro's manufacturer, shared that it has published two reports comparing semaglutide to Mounjaro, which found that when comparing tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg (Mounjaro) to semaglutide 1 mg (Ozempic) in adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin, ‘all three doses of tirzepatide led to superior HbA1C and body weight reductions from baseline compared to semaglutide 1 mg.’

The company shared: “The tolerability profiles of both tirzepatide and semaglutide were consistent with the GLP-1 receptor agonist class. The most commonly reported adverse events across all treatment arms were gastrointestinal-related and mostly mild-to-moderate, including nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.”

When comparing tirzepatide 10 mg or 15 mg (Mounjaro) to semaglutide 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg (Wegovy) in adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity and without type 2 diabetes, it found that ‘tirzepatide led to an average weight reduction of 20.2% compared to 13.7% with semaglutide at 72 weeks (using the treatment-regimen estimand).’

The company added: “Participants using tirzepatide lost an average of 50.3 lbs (22.8 kg) and participants on semaglutide lost an average of 33.1 lbs (15.0 kg).”

As for side effects, ‘adverse events reported during the trial were primarily gastrointestinal-related and were generally mild to moderate in severity.’