What’s the difference between Mounjaro and Ozempic?

When you consider what they do, GLP-1 medications are all pretty similar — they manage blood sugar and help you lose weight. But when you zoom in on how they do it, you start to see some subtle but important differences. Take Mounjaro vs. Ozempic. They’re both GLP-1s. They’re both FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. But they’re totally different medications. Here’s why the distinction matters when it comes to your health, from side effects to efficacy.

What is Ozempic?

Ozempic is a brand name for the GLP-1 medication semaglutide that's been approved by the FDA for type 2 diabetes management. It works by mimicking GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), a hormone that your body produces naturally whenever you eat. This hormone signals the pancreas to release insulin as a way to control blood sugar.

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic also slow the rate of stomach emptying, which not only further improves insulin resistance, but also helps you feel full for longer, according to Dr. Sue Decotiis, M.D., a board-certified obesity specialist in Scarsdale, NY. And as a result of that reduced appetite, GLP-1s like Ozempic help you lose weight.

What is Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is also a GLP-1 medication that is approved for type 2 diabetes management, but it’s a different drug than Ozempic. Mounjaro’s active ingredient is tirzepatide, which mimics two hormones: GLP-1 and GIP (that one stands for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). Like Ozempic, it can affect the pancreas for blood sugar regulation as well as the stomach for delayed gastric emptying.

Key differences between Ozempic and Mounjaro

The main factor separating Ozempic from Mounjaro is that Ozempic only contains a GLP-1 while Mounjaro has both a GLP-1 and a GIP. “These hormones act in unique ways in the body,” says Dr. Allison Rhodes, M.D., a board-certified obesity specialist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. So while Ozempic and Mounjaro have the same effect — better blood sugar management and weight loss — the extra ingredient in Mounjaro improves the impact the medication has on blood sugar and weight. GIP doesn’t work on its own as a type 2 diabetes medication, but when paired with GLP-1, it helps by further suppressing your appetite, reducing visceral fat accumulation in the belly, and improving nausea (a side effect of GLP-1s that can stop people from increasing their dosage).

Mounjaro vs. Ozempic uses

Both Mounjaro and Ozempic are FDA-approved to help regulate blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes. The active ingredients in both have been found to have other health benefits, such as prevention of cardiovascular disease with semaglutide and improving sleep apnea with tirzepatide.

Both Mounjaro and Ozempic may also be prescribed off-label for weight loss, at the discretion of the provider, but this is done less now that there are versions of the same drugs FDA-approved for that purpose (Zepbound and Wegovy, respectively). A doctor may still use this strategy if there are shortages of those medications, says Decotiis.

Mounjaro vs. Ozempic dosages and administration

Both medications are administered as weekly injections using a pre-filled pen that you give yourself at home. For Mounjaro, the recommended starting dose is 2.5mg and it goes up in 2.5mg increments: 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg, and 15mg. With Ozempic, the starting dose is 0.25mg, with higher doses of 0.5mg, 1.0mg, and 2.0mg available.

In most cases, dosage for both Mounjaro and Ozempic is increased every four weeks until the maximum dosage is reached. However, some patients may remain at a lower dosage long-term if it seems to be working well for them, Decotiis says.

Effectiveness of Mounjaro vs. Ozempic

Both of these medications can enhance long-term health, says Decotiis. That's because managing type 2 diabetes can lower other health risks associated with elevated blood blood sugar, like kidney damage, poor blood vessel function, and bone and joint problems.

That said, Mounjaro does seem to have a bigger improvement on A1C, a measure of blood sugar. In a head-to-head clinical trial, 15mg of Mounjaro lowered A1C levels by an average of 2.3 percentage points while 1mg of Ozempic lowered them by 1.86 percentage points. It’s worth noting that the study did not look at Ozempic’s maximum dose. Another study showed that 2.0mg of Ozempic can bring A1C down 2.1 percentage points (more than 1.0mg of Ozempic, but still less than the maximum dose of Mounjaro).

Both medications also result in weight loss, but again tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro) edges out semaglutide (the ingredient in Ozempic): 15mg of tirzepatide resulted in an average weight loss of 20.9% of your body weight after 72 weeks while 2.4mg of semaglutide resulted in an average loss of 14.9% of your weight after 68 weeks.

Mounjaro vs. Ozempic cost and insurance coverage

If you’re paying out of pocket, Mounjaro's retail price is $1,069.08 for a one-month supply while Ozempic costs $978.53. You may be able to find discounts, however. For example, Mounjaro’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly, offers a savings card, and those who are eligible might pay as little as $25 for a one-month or three-month prescription.

The good news is that many insurance companies will cover these medications for type 2 diabetes management (whether or not yours does depends on your exact plan). For Ozempic, Rhodes notes that some plans may require documentation showing a failure to achieve improvements in A1C with certain other approved diabetes medications before approving it. And for both Ozempic and Mounjaro, plans may not cover them if they’re prescribed off-label for weight loss.

Mounjaro vs. Ozempic side effects

Much like any medication, both Mounjaro and Ozempic may cause side effects. They are most often mild and are usually felt when starting the medication or when increasing the dosage. That said, more serious but less common side effects can occur with both medications, including pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and worsening of diabetic eye disease. And those with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasias type 2 should not use them.

Ozempic side effects

Common side effects for Ozempic include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain

Find the complete list of side effects on the Ozempic manufacturer site.

Mounjaro side effects

Common side effects for Mounjaro include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Stomach pain
• Indigestion

Find the complete list of side effects on the Mounjaro manufacturer site.

Do Mounjaro and Ozempic both lower A1C?

A1C, shorthand for hemoglobin A1C or glycated hemoglobin, is a test that measures someone’s average blood sugar levels over the past three months. The lower it is, the more in control your blood sugar is. And both of these medications lower it, although research shows that Mounjaro is slightly more effective (bringing it down 2.3 percentage points compared to 2.1 percentage points with Ozempic).

The bottom line

Both Mounjaro and Ozempic are GLP-1 medications that are FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes management, to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. They are given as a weekly injection and are both started out on lower doses that gradually increase. While they have similar mechanisms, Ozempic contains just GLP-1 while Mounjaro has the addition of GIP too. As a result, Mounjaro may be more effective at reducing blood sugar than Ozempic. Both medications also lead to weight loss, with research showing that Mounjaro results in an average weight loss of 20.9% body weight after 72 weeks, while Ozempic produces an average loss of 14.9% of body weight after 68 weeks.