Which should you choose: Mounjaro or Wegovy?
Effectiveness
Mounjaro may be more beneficial than Wegovy in combating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
As previously proven, higher doses of tirzepatide (Mounjaro’s active ingredient) appear to result in more weight loss and blood sugar reductions than semaglutide (Wegovy).
The two medications, however, have not been directly compared in double-blind randomized controlled trials (the gold standard of medical research). As a result, we cannot predict which treatment will be more successful.
Furthermore, Wegovy appears to have a little better safety profile than Mounjaro, with fewer side effects and fewer patients discontinuing treatment due to adverse events.
So, if you’re considering taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss or blood sugar improvements, Mounjaro may be more successful, but you may prefer Wegovy.
Individual responses to drugs vary widely, so consult with your healthcare professional to establish what is best for you.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEGOVY (SEMAGLUTIDE) AND MOUNJARO (TIRZEPATIDE)?
Wegovy and Mounjaro have lately made headlines due to hot videos shared on social media by celebrities and wellness influencers. They’ve earned a reputation as “miracle” weight loss medicines, which they are not.
They are, however, both medications recommended by Calibrate doctors as part of the health-promoting Metabolic Reset and have been demonstrated (in clinical trials) to improve blood sugar control in adults who are overweight or obese. They can also promote weight loss when combined with lifestyle adjustments.
How do Wegovy and Mounjaro function? Are they secure? How are they different from one another? We’ll answer those and other questions below.
WHAT EXACTLY IS WEGOVY (SEMAGLUTIDE)?
Wegovy (semaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA) that promotes the release of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite, food intake, and glucose metabolism. Wegovy can reduce appetite and improve satiety by activating GLP-1 receptors in the brain, resulting in less food consumption.
Semaglutide is marketed under several brand names, including Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus. Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company, manufactures all three. Ozempic and Rybelsus are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, whilst Wegovy is approved for the treatment of overweight and obesity.
Wegovy is the most recent of the three semaglutide medications, having been approved by the FDA in June 2023 for the treatment of obesity in people with a BMI of 30 or higher, or with a BMI of 27 or higher and at least one weight-related health condition.
WHAT IS MOUNJARO (TIRZEPATIDE)?
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and GLP-1 receptor agonist approved by the FDA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in May 2022.
Clinical studies have shown that Mounjaro can be useful in treating overweight or obesity. Mounjaro, like it does in individuals with type 2 diabetes, can improve blood sugar levels in adults with insulin resistance or prediabetes, and it is an effective weight loss therapy in both categories.
Mounjaro operates similarly to other GLP-1 medications, but it has a dual-action architecture that mimics the effect of not one, but two incretin hormones involved in blood sugar control: glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). Because of its unusual dual activity, it is the first-in-class medication that targets both of these receptors.
“GIP is a hormone that may complement the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists,” according to a news release issued by Eli Lilly. GIP has been proven in preclinical animals to decrease food intake and increase
energy expenditure, resulting in weight loss, and when paired with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, may have a stronger effect on markers of metabolic dysregulation such as body weight, glucose, and lipids.”
HOW DO WEGOVY AND MOUNJARO DRUGS WORK?
Wegovy and Mounjaro both act by imitating incretin hormones in the body, which are released whenever food is consumed. They create a feeling of fullness by slowing gastric emptying and stimulating the brain’s satiety centers, among other things. They also stimulate insulin production in the pancreas while suppressing glucagon production, both of which contribute to blood sugar normalisation.
Because all of this occurs in a glucose-dependent way, incretin hormones (or their mimics, such as GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists) are unlikely to produce severe hypoglycemia (unless paired with specific diabetic drugs).
What about your naturally occurring incretin hormones? According to research, those who are overweight or obese may have a decline in incretin effects, especially if they have experienced numerous weight fluctuations owing to yo-yo dieting. GLP-1-type drug bridges the gap, making it easier to achieve your objectives.
Wegovy, Mounjaro, and other GLP-1 drugs are effective enough to help decrease your set point: the weight your body normally settles at owing to a combination of genetics, biology, and environment. In other words, they improve the likelihood of long-term weight loss.
WEGOVY (SEMAGLUTIDE) VS. MOUNJARO (TIRZEPATIDE)
Both Wegovy and Mounjaro have been shown to be effective not only in improving metabolic health, lowering hemaglobin A1C (hbA1C), and assisting with weight loss, but also in lowering the likelihood of cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke and improving cardiovascular outcomes overall.
While Mounjaro acts on both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, Wegovy only acts on GLP-1 receptors. This is not to say that Wegovy is a poor choice for boosting metabolic health: How well Wegovy (or any other treatment) works for your body is determined by a variety of unique factors, including your genetic profile and health history, as well as your physical predispositions, lifestyle, and preferences.
For example, you may discover that semaglutide is simpler for your body to handle and has less adverse effects than another formulation of a GLP-1 medicine, while still assisting you in reaching your goals at the same rate. The same is true for dose. Some people need to titrate up to the maximal dose of a GLP-1 medicine rather rapidly, while others can progress on a lower dose for an extended length of time.
Wegovy vs. Mounjaro: A Comparison
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) have a lot in common. Both promote weight loss and help to lower blood sugar levels. They are, however, different drugs that have been licenced for various uses and have different modes of action and negative effects.
Wegovy and Mounjaro for Weight Loss
In 2023, widespread shortages of popular weight loss medicines made headlines. These headlines have increased public awareness of the possible usefulness of some drugs in weight loss. However, various medicines with proven efficacy are on the market, some with approved weight loss purposes and some without. As a consumer and patient, understanding the differences between popular weight loss drugs is critical in order to make informed decisions regarding one’s treatment plan. This article will compare and contrast two medicines that can aid with weight management: Mounjaro and Wegovy.
Weight loss effectiveness
Mounjaro, which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, appears to provide greater weight loss and blood sugar reduction benefits than Wegovy, which contains semaglutide.
However, the gold standard of medical research, a direct comparison of the two medications in a double-blind, randomized controlled study, has not been undertaken. As a result, it is impossible to say definitively which is more successful.
There is no such thing as a magic medication.
These drugs are intended to supplement weight-management programmes and should not be considered long-term prescriptions.
Instead, they should be utilized to jumpstart your weight reduction and healthy journey while you commit to a healthier lifestyle.
Since 2017, the NHS has trusted Second Nature to help people with type 2 diabetes and obesity lose weight, regulate their blood sugar levels, and live healthier lives in the long run.
If you’re thinking about buying Mounjaro (when it becomes available in the UK) or Wegovy but need help making positive lifestyle changes, Second Nature could be a good fit.
In 2022, the NHS published data in the BMJ comparing the weight loss outcomes of five National Diabetes Prevention Programme providers.
Second Nature was more than twice as effective as the other four suppliers in terms of weight reduction help.
Adverse Effects
Wegovy and Mounjaro have similar adverse effect profiles, with the majority of them being gastrointestinal (e.g., nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea). They also contain comparable warnings and precautions on their label for things like pancreatic, gallbladder, and kidney disorders.
