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Comparison

Ozempic vs Wegovy: what is the difference?

Updated 9 sources 4 min read
Short answer

Ozempic and Wegovy both contain semaglutide from Novo Nordisk, but Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes with weekly doses up to 2 mg, while Wegovy is approved for weight management and heart risk reduction with doses up to 2.4 mg, or 7.2 mg for Wegovy HD. Self-pay, the Ozempic pen costs $199 to $499 a month and the Wegovy pen $199 to $399, and both come as daily pills from $149. Medicare's $50 GLP-1 Bridge covers Wegovy but not Ozempic.

  • $199Ozempic pen, 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, first 2 fills (new patients)
  • $349Ozempic pen, 0.25 mg to 1 mg
  • $499Ozempic pen, 2 mg
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Prices at a glance

  • Ozempic pen, 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, first 2 fills (new patients)$199
  • Ozempic pen, 0.25 mg to 1 mg$349
  • Ozempic pen, 2 mg$499
  • Ozempic pill$149 to $299
  • Wegovy pen, 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, first 2 fills (new patients)$199
  • Wegovy pen, 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg$349
  • Wegovy HD pen, 7.2 mg$399
  • Wegovy pill$149 to $299
  • Either drug, commercial insurance with savings offer$25
  • Medicare GLP-1 Bridge$50

Side by side

Option A

ozempic

  • Ozempic pen, 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, first 2 fills[2]
    $199
    Through December 31, 2026
  • Ozempic pen, 0.25 mg to 1 mg[2]
    $349
  • Ozempic pen, 2 mg[2]
    $499
  • Ozempic pill[3]
    $149 to $299
    $149 (1.5 mg), $199 (4 mg), $299 (9 mg)
Option B

wegovy

  • Wegovy pen, 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, first 2 fills[1]
    $199
    Through December 31, 2026
  • Wegovy pen, 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg[1]
    $349
  • Wegovy HD pen, 7.2 mg[1]
    $399
  • Wegovy pill[1]
    $149 to $299
    $149 (1.5 mg), $199 (4 mg), $299 (9 mg and 25 mg)

Applies to both

  • Either drug, commercial insurance with savings offer[1][2]$25Savings capped at $100 a month; government plans excluded
  • Medicare GLP-1 Bridge[4]$50Wegovy only; Ozempic is not covered

Prices are national ranges from the sources listed below. Your price depends on your provider, location and case; confirm the cost with your provider before treatment. How we get these prices

Ozempic vs Wegovy side by side

Ozempic Wegovy
Active ingredient Semaglutide[6] Semaglutide[5]
Maker Novo Nordisk[2] Novo Nordisk[1]
Forms and schedule Weekly pen; daily tablet[6][7] Weekly pen; daily tablet[5]
Pen doses 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg; 1 mg and 2 mg if more blood sugar control is needed[6] 0.25 mg, rising every 4 weeks to 2.4 mg maintenance; up to 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD)[5]
Tablet doses 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg[7] 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg, 25 mg maintenance[5]
FDA-approved uses Blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes; lowering heart risks in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease; lowering kidney decline and heart death risk in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (pen)[6] Weight management in adults (and ages 12 and up for the pen); lowering heart attack, stroke and heart death risk in adults with heart disease and obesity or overweight; MASH liver disease (pen)[5]
Weight results on the label 6.4 kg lost on 2 mg and 5.6 kg on 1 mg at 40 weeks, adults with type 2 diabetes[6] 14.9% on 2.4 mg at 68 weeks vs 2.4% on placebo, adults without diabetes[5]
Self-pay price Pen $199 to $499; pill $149 to $299[2][3] Pen $199 to $399; pill $149 to $299[1]
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Not covered[4] $50 a month[4]

Why two brands of the same drug

The difference is the label. Ozempic is a type 2 diabetes medicine; its label does not include weight management.[6] Wegovy is labeled for weight management in people with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, and reaches higher doses.[5] Wegovy’s label says not to use it with other semaglutide products or any other GLP-1 receptor agonist, so you would take one or the other.[5]

What has better weight loss, Ozempic or Wegovy?

No trial on either label compares the two brands head to head. The label results come from different people and endpoints:

  • Wegovy: adults without diabetes lost an average 14.9% at 68 weeks on 2.4 mg, against 2.4% on placebo. In adults with type 2 diabetes the figure was 9.6%, against 3.4%. On Wegovy HD 7.2 mg, adults with obesity lost 18.8% at 72 weeks, against 3.9%.[5]
  • Ozempic: in adults with type 2 diabetes, 2 mg led to 6.4 kg of weight loss and 1 mg to 5.6 kg at 40 weeks.[6]

Talk with a clinician about which drug fits your diagnosis.

Ozempic vs Wegovy cost

Self-pay prices from NovoCare overlap at lower doses:[1][2][3]

  • New patient pen price: both are $199 for each of the first two fills of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, through December 31, 2026.
  • Standard pen price: both are $349 at 0.25 mg to 1 mg. Ozempic 2 mg is $499; Wegovy is $349 up to 2.4 mg and $399 for Wegovy HD.
  • Pills: both start at $149 for 1.5 mg and cost $199 for 4 mg and $299 for 9 mg. The Wegovy 25 mg pill is $299.

With commercial insurance that covers the drug, both savings offers let you pay as little as $25 a month, with savings capped at $100 a month and government plan members excluded.[1][2] TrumpRx lists the Wegovy pill at $149, the Wegovy pen at $199 and Ozempic at $199 a month.[8] See the Ozempic cost per month and Wegovy pill cost guides for every dose.

Ozempic vs Wegovy and Medicare

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge covers Wegovy, injection or tablet, for $50 a month for eligible Part D enrollees; Ozempic is not on the list.[4] People with type 2 diabetes are not eligible for the Bridge, and Medicare tells them to ask their drug plan, which may already cover a GLP-1 drug.[4]

Ozempic vs Wegovy side effects

Reported in at least 5% of people in the label trials:

  • Ozempic pen: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation.[6]
  • Wegovy: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, abnormal skin sensations, headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, bloating, burping, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, gastroenteritis, acid reflux and hair loss.[5]

Both carry a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents and are not for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2.[5][6] The FDA also warns that counterfeit Ozempic has been sold in the U.S., so fill prescriptions at a state-licensed pharmacy.[9]

Which one is for you

Your diagnosis decides which label applies. Talk with a clinician about whether either fits you. Care Anytime members can reach state-licensed doctors by phone or video for non-emergency care through virtual physician access; we do not sell these drugs.

Frequently asked questions

What has better weight loss, Ozempic or Wegovy?

No trial on either label compares the two brands. Wegovy's trials were built to measure weight: adults without diabetes lost an average 14.9% at 68 weeks on 2.4 mg against 2.4% on placebo. Ozempic's trials measured blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, where adults lost 6.4 kg on 2 mg and 5.6 kg on 1 mg at 40 weeks. Wegovy also goes to higher doses than Ozempic.

Are Ozempic and Wegovy the same drug as semaglutide?

They have the same active ingredient, semaglutide, and the same maker, Novo Nordisk. They are labeled for different uses and doses: Ozempic for type 2 diabetes up to 2 mg a week, Wegovy for weight management and heart risk reduction up to 2.4 mg, or 7.2 mg as Wegovy HD. The Wegovy label says not to use it with other semaglutide products.

Why are people using Ozempic instead of Wegovy?

Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, so people with diabetes may have drug plan coverage for it, and Medicare tells people with type 2 diabetes to ask their drug plan, which may already cover a GLP-1. Ozempic is not approved for weight management. Talk with a clinician about which label fits your diagnosis.

What is the downside of Wegovy?

Per its label, the most common side effects are stomach related, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation, and 6.8% of people in the main 2.4 mg trials stopped because of side effects, against 3.2% on placebo. It carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents. Self-pay, the pen costs $349 a month after any intro fills.

Is Ozempic cheaper than Wegovy?

At the lowest doses they cost the same: $199 for a new patient's first two pen fills and $149 for the starting pill. At 0.25 mg to 1 mg both pens are $349. The 2 mg Ozempic pen is $499, while the Wegovy pen is $349 up to 2.4 mg and $399 for Wegovy HD.

Can I lose 20 pounds in 3 months on Wegovy?

The Wegovy label does not report 3 month results. The pen dose is raised over the first 16 weeks, and weight results were measured at 68 weeks. Ask your clinician what to expect for you.

Sources

  1. 1 Novo Nordisk NovoCare. Price your Wegovy: self-pay and savings offers for the pill and pen. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  2. 2 Novo Nordisk NovoCare. Ozempic cost navigator: frequently asked questions. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  3. 3 Novo Nordisk NovoCare. Ozempic pill and pen price guide. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  4. 4 Medicare.gov. Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: GLP-1 drugs for $50 a month (fact sheet, June 2026). Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  5. 5 DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets: prescribing information. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  6. 6 DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Ozempic (semaglutide) injection: prescribing information. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  7. 7 DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Rybelsus and Ozempic (semaglutide) tablets: prescribing information. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  8. 8 TrumpRx.gov. TrumpRx GLP-1 prices. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
  9. 9 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss. Accessed Oct 30, 2026.