Wegovy Comparison: Wegovy vs Ozempic vs Saxenda & More
speciality medications
Over the past few years, the weight loss medications available to the general public have changed dramatically. Today, patients seeking effective weight loss treatments have several options to consider—from Ozempic and Contrave to Rybelsus, Mounjaro, and beyond.
One of the most recent weight loss meds in the limelight is Wegovy, prized for its efficacy and because it’s indicated primarily for weight loss (e.g., not for diabetes first and weight loss second).
Which of these weight loss drugs is best for you and your individual needs? Your doctor can help you answer this question, but it doesn’t hurt to be an informed patient.
Here, we’ll go over the pros and cons of various popular weight loss drugs to give you much of the information you need to thrive.
Establishing a Basis for Comparison: What’s Wegovy?
Wegovy (semaglutide) is a medication that has recently garnered a significant amount of attention for effective weight loss management in otherwise relatively healthy adults.
What is it—and why is it so different from weight loss methods in the past?
As we’ll discuss later, many other weight loss medications are technically prescribed for one thing, and the weight loss is seen as a side benefit.
Wegovy is a prescription medication that is designed, first and foremost, to assist with chronic weight management.
It’s for adults who are overweight, or who have medical problems directly related to their weight.
How Does Wegovy Work?
Wegovy’s active ingredient, semaglutide, works to help you manage your weight by mimicking the action of a hormone called GLP-1, or “glucagon-like peptide-1.”
GLP-1 normally targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and, therefore, influence your food intake. By stepping in and targeting these areas of your brain, Wegovy can help you downregulate your hunger and reduce your food intake, which (when done safely) can support healthy weight loss.
Although Wegovy is unique, particularly in its indication, it’s not the only weight loss medication that’s gotten a lot of buzz in the news recently.
Let’s take a quick look at what Wegovy has to offer when compared with another popular weight loss medication—Ozempic.
Wegovy vs. Ozempic
Both Wegovy and Ozempic contain semaglutide but are prescribed for different primary purposes.
Wegovy is prescribed primarily to help adults manage their weight.
Ozempic is prescribed to people who have type 2 diabetes; the weight loss, which does happen for many patients, is secondary.
Further, studies have shown that the potential for weight loss is slightly higher with Wegovy, when Wegovy is used safely and consistently for its target patients.
Further differences between Ozempic and Wegovy include:
The dosages: Wegovy is usually taken at a higher maintenance dose than Ozempic. Most Ozempic patients stop increasing their dose at 1mg weekly, where Wegovy patients may take up to 2.4mg per week.
The side effects: While both medications (as they leverage the same active ingredient) may cause the same side effects of diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea, patients who take Wegovy may have more severe incidences of these side effects because of Wegovy’s higher doses.
The efficacy: Wegovy can help people lose up to 15% of their body weight.
Ozempic’s primary use is controlling blood sugar levels, and it’s very good at that. Any weight loss experienced while on Ozempic is an indirect benefit.
Wegovy vs. Ozempic: Cost Comparison
Since Wegovy requires a higher dosage, you might wonder: Is it necessarily going to be more expensive than Ozempic?
You’re on the right track. Generally, Americans who pay full retail price for Wegovy pay as much as $1,700.00 for a one-month supply of the drug.
Ozempic isn’t cheap, either! The retail price for Ozempic is around $1,000.00 for a one-month supply.
Fortunately, through an international and Canadian drugs store online, you stand to save significantly on these effective and popular medications.
If you’re a type 2 diabetes patient, you can buy one month of brand-name Ozempic for around $500.00 a month through NorthWestPharmacy.com.
Or, if you’re interested in effective weight loss, you can buy one month of brand-name Wegovy for around $900.00 per month through NorthWestPharmacy.com.
Wegovy vs. Saxenda
Saxenda and Wegovy are both drugs approved for weight loss, but they differ in their dosing and effectiveness.
They also differ in their active ingredient. Wegovy leverages semaglutide to help patients manage their appetite. Saxenda contains liraglutide, an ingredient that may sound like it’s related to semaglutide—because it is! Saxenda is also a GLP-1 receptor agonist that can help patients reduce their appetite and work toward healthy weight loss.
The main difference between Saxenda and Wegovy is in their dosage and administration:
- Wegovy is administered once per week in a subcutaneous (or under the skin) injection. If you take Wegovy, you’ll start at a smaller dose of about 0.25mg weekly before ramping up to a maintenance dose of about 2.4mg per week.
- Saxenda is administered once per day, also in injections. Patients start off on a dose of 0.6mg daily, then ramp up gradually to a maximum maintenance dose of 3mg per day. This is a much, much higher dose than what’s common with Wegovy.
Which of these drugs, Wegovy vs. Saxenda, is more effective for you will depend on your medication consistency and your unique biochemical makeup.
Your doctor can help recommend one over the other for you, but many patients do prefer Wegovy because of its less intensive administration schedule.
Since Saxenda and Wegovy leverage similar active ingredients, their side effects are similar. They include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- …and, rarely, serious side effects including pancreatitis and gallbladder issues.
If you suspect that you’re experiencing an adverse reaction to either Saxenda or Wegovy, call your doctor at once.
Wegovy vs. Saxenda: Price Comparison
Retail prices for both Wegovy and Saxenda can be very steep.
As we noted above, the retail price for Wegovy can be well over $1,500.00 per month. American patients who pay full price for Saxenda may experience a similar sense of sticker shock: Saxenda can cost $1,450.00 for a month’s supply.
Wegovy vs. Mounjaro
You may have heard of Mounjaro (tirzepatide)—another emerging weight management option.
There are a few ways Mounjaro is similar to Ozempic, Saxenda, and Wegovy:
- Mounjaro is administered once weekly. Like the above medications, it’s also an injectable medication.
- Mounjaro’s active ingredient, tirzepatide, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist (like liraglutide and semaglutide).
- Mounjaro has similar side effects to Saxenda and Ozempic.
- Mounjaro, like Ozempic, is primarily intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Selecting Mounjaro, as opposed to Ozempic, largely depends on your unique health goals and how your body reacts to specific GLP-1 medications. For example, if you don’t see results with Ozempic, Mounjaro may be a good secondary medication to try, as the active ingredient is a little different.
Of course, the price may also play into your decision. In America, one box of Mounjaro, which should last about one month, can cost around $1,200.00.
Wegovy vs. Zepbound
Zepbound, another GLP-1 receptor agonist, leverages the same active ingredient as Mounjaro—tirzepatide.
Much like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro, Zepbound is a weekly subcutaneous injection. Patients will start out on a lower dose to see how well it works for their unique health goals and symptoms before moving up to a higher maintenance dose.
While Zepbound’s early study results are indicating promising outcomes for weight loss, it’s a newer drug and may not be easily available everywhere you look.
Even Canadian online pharmacies are still getting it in stock, so keep an eye out for future updates from your Canadian pharmacy of choice!
In the USA, a one-month supply of Zepbound may cost around $1,200.00, putting it in a similar expensive category as many of the drugs we’ve discussed.
While it’s too early to tell just how much you’ll be able to save on Zepbound by working with an online and international Canadian pharmacy, stay tuned—since Canadian pharmacies offer many ways to save on popular, effective medications, you’ll likely be able to save significantly on Zepbound here.
Wegovy vs. Rybelsus
Rybelsus (semaglutide) is a medication that, like Ozempic and Wegovy, offers the power of semaglutide in a convenient and effective package.
Unlike Ozempic and Wegovy, though, Rybelsus is an oral medication. If you’re a little leery of using needles, Rybelsus may be a feasible alternative to the popular meds you’ve been hearing about in healthcare news!
While the potentially-dramatic weight loss benefits associated with Ozempic and Wegovy may be a little more subtle with Rybelsus, Rybelsus is still an effective option if you take it consistently and pair it with healthy lifestyle changes.
This can include anything from prioritizing more daily movement to embracing small-yet-powerful dietary shifts.
For example, Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician who specializes in regenerative medicine, says that a quick swap many people can make is eating more eggs: “Eating just two eggs per day provides you with up to 30% of your daily vitamins, and studies have shown that eggs have been effective as part of a successful weight loss plan.”
Since it leverages the same active ingredient, Rybelsus’s side effects are very similar to those common with Ozempic and Wegovy—mainly symptoms related to gastrointestinal distress.
Rybelsus is a little cheaper than Ozempic, Wegovy, and Saxenda, possibly because it’s in tablet form and accoutrements like needles and pens are not necessary. This doesn’t mean it’s cost-effective, though!
American patients paying full price for Rybelsus may pay about $1,000.00 for a one-month supply of the medication.
But you can buy one month of brand-name Rybelsus for around $280.00 per month through NorthWestPharmacy.com.
Wegovy vs. Contrave
Contrave (naltrexone and bupropion) is a weight loss med that can be very effective for patients, but it does work a little differently from the GLP-1 receptor agonists that we’ve discussed thus far.
Contrave combines two medications, naltrexone and bupropion. These active ingredients are used solo to treat drug dependence and depression. While this may seem like an interesting combination, it’s one that can be very powerful when used appropriately.
The side effects of Contrave may include:
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Constipation
In some rare cases, people who take Contrave experience increased blood pressure and a heightened risk for seizures and liver damage. If you suspect that you’re having severe reactions to Contrave, don’t discontinue use suddenly (that can make things worse!); instead, talk to your doctor at once.
Contrave is often a bit more affordable than GLP-1 receptor agonists like Wegovy and Ozempic.
In America, you can buy 30 tablets of Contrave for about $200.00. How long this lasts for you will depend on how quickly you ramp up on the medication, and how strong your maintenance dose is. (Most people start off with one pill per day before working their way up to four pills daily.)
Fortunately, through a Canadian internet pharmacy and international medications site, you stand to save considerably.
You can buy one month of brand-name Contrave for around $300.00 per month through NorthWestPharmacy.com.
Final Question: What’s the Real Difference Between Semaglutide vs. Wegovy?
Semaglutide is a chemical compound and an active ingredient found within a medication; Wegovy is the brand name of a medication in which semaglutide is an ingredient.
(Think of it this way: Chocolate is a primary ingredient in Hershey’s syrup, which can make the two materials feel somewhat synonymous—they are, in fact, a little different.)
Semaglutide, through medications like Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic, can help patients regulate their appetite and support healthy weight loss by altering their brain chemistry. Of all these medications, Wegovy is the one uniquely formulated for weight loss instead of, say, diabetes control. Since it offers a targeted design and a higher dosage, it’s a powerful options for people seeking healthy weight loss.
If you’re among those looking for Wegovy at reliably affordable prices, you’re in the right place.
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, a CIPA-approved online pharmacy website, you can buy Wegovy and other brand-name medications through safe Canadian pharmacies and international drugs stores. Check out our Wegovy medication page to get started with your order.
The team at NorthWestPharmacy.com looks forward to helping you support your healthcare journey!
