Trulicity Compared to Alternatives: Ozempic, Mounjaro, & More
speciality medications
Some 530+ million adults worldwide have diabetes—and over 90% of these cases involve type 2 diabetes. This number is projected to increase significantly, to over 700 million by 2030 and 700 million by 2045.
This has resulted in a lot of innovation in the diabetes prescription medication space. Global spending on diabetes medication and treatment reached an estimated $760 billion in 2019.
(With demand comes significant funding and research prioritization.)
Because of this, people with type 2 diabetes have several medications to choose from to optimize their care. If you’re new to the world of type 2 diabetes medications, this can be a bit overwhelming. Which medication is best for you and your unique constellation of needs—Trulicity? Ozempic? Mounjaro?
Or even a combination? As Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician who specializes in regenerative medicine, reports, “Some people find that a combination of multiple different medications helps lower their blood glucose levels more than any one pill alone.”
Here, we’ll break down the main differences between these popular diabetes medications for you so you can be the most informed patient possible.
There’s a New Diabetes Medication In Town! What is Trulicity?
Trulicity (dulaglutide) is one of the newer and more popular diabetes medications. It’s a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which puts it in a similar category as other buzzy diabetes and weight loss medications like Wegovy and Ozempic.
These medications work by stimulating your body’s secretion of insulin, inhibiting the release of a substance called “glucagon,” and slowing gastric emptying. As a result, your body is better able to keep glucose (or sugar) levels within a helpful, healthy range.
You also, while on a GLP-1 receptor agonist, won’t feel quite as hungry as often. This can support both blood sugar balance and weight management by helping diabetes patients eat thoughtfully and mindfully—and certainly struggle less with frustrating cravings.
How Much Does Trulicity Cost?
In America, effective and popular drugs are often priced at a premium.
Trulicity is no exception. Patients who pay full retail price for Trulicity in the States may pay as much as $1,100.00 for a one-month supply of the medication.
Fortunately, you do have an alternative. Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy that same month of brand-name Trulicity for as little as $480.00–up to 56% off.
This can be extremely helpful at any time, but when there’s a Trulicity shortage, this can be critical information.
Is There a Trulicity Shortage?
Since there has been an overwhelming demand for GLP-1 receptor agonists, recently, popular dulaglutide, semaglutide, and liraglutide medications have been under a shortage.
While the manufacturers of these medications will figure out how to ramp up production in due time, it’s not outside the realm of possibility for these medications to go in and out of shortage as long as they remain popular.
If you’re a patient relying on Trulicity or Ozempic to manage your type 2 diabetes, as opposed to using these drugs off-label for weight loss, this can be wildly frustrating (and even dangerous).
To protect yourself as well as you can from health complications, it’s a good idea to have backup methods of getting your required medications.
That’s why knowing the alternatives to Trulicity (in case you need to change medications in a pinch) and understanding your options for getting Trulicity from Canadian pharmacies can be extremely helpful.
How Does Trulicity Compare to Other GLP-1 Receptor Agonists?
Let’s see how Trulicity compares to the most popular GLP-1 medications.
Trulicity vs. Ozempic
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that has been extremely popular in the news as of late.
It’s a medication that was initially approved to treat blood sugar imbalances in people with type 2 diabetes, but, since it’s also very effective at enabling consistent weight management, it’s used off-label for that purpose as well.
Trulicity and Ozempic have several similarities.
- Both Trulicity and Ozempic are administered via weekly injections.
- Both drugs work by mimicking the action of the GLP-1 hormone.
- Both drugs come with possible additional benefits outside of appetite regulation and blood sugar control—for example, these drugs may also provide potential cardiovascular benefits, which can make them very attractive for people who are dealing with type 2 diabetes and cardiac issues.
The drugs also have several differences. For example:
- Ozempic may offer more significant weight loss and superior A1C reduction when compared to Trulicity.
- However, patients on Ozempic do report more gastrointestinal side effects.
When considered in context, it’s possible that Ozempic is simply a more powerful drug for some people; therefore, both the benefits and potential risks would be heightened.
As with all medications, your specific experience may be unique to you, so talking to your doctor about your goals and side effect tolerance will be key.
Of course, Ozempic and Trulicity also differ significantly in price.
How Much Does Ozempic Cost?
In the United States, Ozempic, as an incredibly popular drug, does come with an incredible sticker price. Patients may pay as much as $1,000.00 weekly to be on this drug.
You may be able to save by purchasing your Ozempic through NorthWestPharmacy.com. Here, you can buy brand-name Ozempic for $500.00 per pen—up to 50% savings when compared to the retail price.
Trulicity vs. Mounjaro
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer medication that offers many of the benefits of Trulicity in addition to a few unique perks.
How?
Mounjaro is a dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist. This means it interacts with a couple of different hormone pathways—and may offer a more innovative approach to managing your diabetes. (This is, possibly, especially helpful if your diabetes symptoms have not responded well to a GLP-1 receptor agonist alone.)
That said, Mounjaro and Trulicity do still have several things in common.
For example, both medications are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and both medications are administered via once-weekly injection.
That’s where the similarities end, though.
Differences between Mounjaro and Trulicity include their mechanism of action and their efficacy. Mounjaro mimics two hormones, the GIP hormone and the GLP-1 hormone.
This may be connected to Mounjaro’s heightened efficacy. According to some clinical trials, Mounjaro may help patients exercise better control over their blood sugar levels. That same trial showed that patients who took Mounjaro over Trulicity saw greater weight loss, too.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Mounjaro is a better drug for you, just because you want to see your scale’s needle move. Both Trulicity and Mounjaro support blood sugar control and effective weight management. Your healthcare team will help you determine which is the best option for you.
How Much Does Mounjaro Cost?
In the United States, a one-month supply of Mounjaro can retail for as much as $1,200.00.
Trulicity vs. Victoza
Victoza (liraglutide) is, as the active ingredient may suggest, a GLP-1 receptor agonist in the same class as substances like semaglutide and liraglutide. It’s used to manage type 2 diabetes—but this one comes with a twist:
Instead of a once-weekly dose, Victoza requires daily dosing. For people who would rather the stability and predictability of a once-daily dose, Victoza may be a good fit.
Similarities between Trulicity and Victoza include their shared classification as a GLP-1 receptor agonist. By manipulating the body’s GLP-1 pathway, these drugs help balance blood sugar. The two medications also both have extra cardioprotective benefits aside from their main purpose in supporting diabetes care.
The differences between the two medications, as noted above, are primarily in their dosing and efficacy.
Victoza does require daily injections. For some patients, this can be a pro; others may not love this aspect as much. However, some studies do suggest that for patients in certain populations, like for those with high cardiovascular risk, Victoza may be a good choice.
Trulicity vs. Wegovy
Wegovy (high-dose semaglutide) leverages the same ingredient as Ozempic, just in a (much) higher dosage.
Unlike Ozempic, and Trulicity, Wegovy is a medication primarily used for weight loss. While it is a medication in the same GLP-1 receptor agonist class as the rest of the medications we’ve discussed, its high dosage and formulation are specifically conducive to weight loss—not necessarily type 2 diabetes management.
While Trulicity and Wegovy are similar in that they’re both once-weekly injections, Wegovy’s primary indication as a weight management drug does put it in a different category than Trulicity.
How Much Does Wegovy Cost?
Wegovy can retail for around $1,500.00 per month for people in the United States. While insurance may, in some cases, help defray some of this cost, it also may not.
(Insurance companies don’t generally help with drugs seen as optional.)
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you may be able to save significantly on this medication. Here, you can buy a one-month supply of brand-name Wegovy for about $900.00 per month, or savings of up to 40%.
Trulicity and Metformin
If you or a loved one has type 2 diabetes, you’re likely familiar with metformin. Metformin is a first-line (or first-choice) treatment for many type 2 diabetics. It works by decreasing your liver’s production of glucose, and also improving your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
In other words: It has a very different mechanism of action when compared to GLP-1 receptor agonists like Trulicity.
This means that taking these two medications at the same time can be an option, if your doctor believes it’s a good idea.
Trulicity enhances insulin secretion and decreases appetite.
Metformin improves the body's response to insulin.
Together, they can be a powerful one-two punch in aiding healthy blood sugar control, as well as sustainable weight management.
Further, metformin is a relatively cheap and very accessible drug, which makes this combination a very real option for many patients (again, with doctor approval).
Are There Other Trulicity Alternatives Worth Considering?
If you’re looking for a high-quality option to consider that isn’t one of the medications we’ve touched on already in this blog, you’re in the right place.
Medications possibly worth bringing up to your doctor that aren’t Trulicity or Ozempic may include the following.
Rybelsus
Rybelsus is an oral form of semaglutide. That’s the same active ingredient found in Ozempic, but, potentially, in an easier form to stomach for people not so keen on injections. It offers a wide range of similar benefits as the injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists, just in an oral form.
You can buy brand-name Rybelsus through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $280.00 per month.
Jardiance
Jardiance (empagliflozin) is not a GLP-1 inhibitor. Instead, its active ingredient works to inhibit a transporter that influences the way glucose moves through the kidney—a transporter called “SGLT2”.
If you’ve found that GLP-1 receptor agonists don’t work well for you and your symptoms, SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance may be worth trying.
You can buy a four-week supply of brand-name Jardiance through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $140.00.
What To Consider When Selecting a Trulicity Alternative
When you’re looking for a medication to take that offers many of the same benefits as Trulicity (just in a version that’s more amenable to you and your unique needs), keep the following factors in mind:
- The medication needs to be efficient, especially in terms of influencing blood sugar control. Keep an eye out for which medications offer superior reductions in blood sugar.
- The medication’s side effects need to be manageable for you. This will change, depending on every person’s tolerance, but knowing ahead of time the likely severity of the GI issues you could experience as your body adjusts to the medication will be important.
- The medication’s administration schedule needs to work with your life, otherwise real life will happen and you’ll start to miss doses—which isn’t a good use of your time and resources (and could result in risky situations for your health).
Of course, you also need to consider cost … and that’s where we come in. Through a reputable, CIPA-approved online Canadian pharmacy and international drugs website, you can save up to 90% on brand-name medications like Trulicity while benefiting from convenient perks (like being able to buy medication online from the comfort of your living room).
Chat with our team of customer service representatives and pharmacists if you have any questions, or read our Canadian pharmacy reviews page to see exactly what it’s like to buy medication through NorthWestPharmacy.com. Then, when you’re ready, place an order online or over the phone.
Our team looks forward to supporting you on your healthcare journey!
