HealthyStudy

Ozempic vs Wegovy

Wegovy: approved for weight lossOzempic injection: approved for another condition

Ozempic and Wegovy contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, and are made by the same manufacturer. They are not the same product. Each holds its own FDA approval, with its own label, its own approved uses and its own maximum dose. This page sets the two labels side by side.

Side by side, straight from the labels

This table is generated from the two source labels, not typed out by hand, so it cannot drift from what the regulator approved.

From the FDA labels

Label sectionWegovySEMAGLUTIDEOzempic injectionSEMAGLUTIDE
Active ingredientSemaglutideGLP-1 receptor agonistSemaglutideGLP-1 receptor agonist
SupplyPrescriptionPrescription
Boxed warningWARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORSWARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS
What the FDA approved it for
  • to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight.
  • to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in: Adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity; Adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
  • Coadministration with other semaglutide-containing products or with any other GLP-1 receptor agonist is not recommended.
  • an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established cardiovascular disease.
  • Has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Consider another antidiabetic therapy.
  • Not for treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Forms and strengths
  • 2.4 mg/0.75 mL Injection: pre-filled, single-dose pen that delivers doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg.
  • Single-patient-use pen that delivers 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg per injection Injection: 4 mg/3 mL (1.34 mg/mL) available in:
  • Single-patient-use pen that delivers 1 mg per injection Injection: 8 mg/3 mL (2.68 mg/mL) available in:
  • Single-patient-use pen that delivers 2 mg per injection
How the label says it is taken
  • Administer WEGOVY once weekly as an adjunct to diet and increased physical activity, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without meals.
  • Inject subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
  • In patients with type 2 diabetes, monitor blood glucose prior to starting and during WEGOVY treatment.
  • Initiate at 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks. Then follow the dosage escalation schedule, titrating every 4 weeks to achieve the maintenance dosage.
  • The maintenance dosage of WEGOVY in adults is either 2.4 mg (recommended) or 1.7 mg once weekly.
  • The maintenance dosage of WEGOVY in pediatric patients aged 12 years and older is 2.4 mg once weekly. Important Monitoring and Administration Instructions
  • Administer once weekly at any time of day, with or without meals.
  • Start at 0.25 mg once weekly. After 4 weeks, increase the dosage to 0.5 mg once weekly.
  • If additional glycemic control is needed, increase the dosage to 1 mg once weekly after at least 4 weeks on the 0.5 mg dose.
  • If additional glycemic control is needed, increase the dosage to 2 mg once weekly after at least 4 weeks on the 1 mg dosage.
  • If a dose is missed administer within 5 days of missed dose.
  • Inject subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Important Administration Instructions
Most common adverse reactions
  • Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 5%) in adults or pediatric patients aged 12 years and older are: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, dyspepsia, dizziness, abdominal distension, eructation, hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, flatulence, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and nasopharyngitis.
  • most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were nausea (1.8% versus 0.2%), vomiting (1.2% versus 0%), and diarrhea (0.7% versus 0.1%) for WEGOVY and placebo, respectively.
  • most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥5% of patients treated with OZEMPIC are: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation.
Warnings and precautions
  • Acute Pancreatitis: Has occurred in clinical trials. Discontinue promptly if pancreatitis is suspected. Do not restart if pancreatitis is confirmed.
  • Acute Gallbladder Disease: Has occurred in clinical trials. If cholelithiasis is suspected, gallbladder studies and clinical follow-up are indicated.
  • Hypoglycemia: Concomitant use with insulin or an insulin secretagogue may increase the risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. Reducing the dose of insulin or insulin secretagogue may be necessary. Inform all patients of the risk of hypoglycemia and educate them on the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia.
  • Acute Kidney Injury: Has occurred. Monitor renal function when initiating or escalating doses of WEGOVY in patients reporting severe adverse gastrointestinal reactions or in those with renal impairment reporting severe adverse gastrointestinal reactions.
  • Hypersensitivity Reactions: Anaphylactic reactions and angioedema have been reported postmarketing. Discontinue WEGOVY if suspected and promptly seek medical advice.
  • Diabetic Retinopathy Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Has been reported in trials with semaglutide. Patients with a history of diabetic retinopathy should be monitored.
  • Heart Rate Increase: Monitor heart rate at regular intervals.
  • Suicidal Behavior and Ideation: Monitor for depression or suicidal thoughts. Discontinue WEGOVY if symptoms develop. Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors In mice and rats, semaglutide caused a dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent increase in the incidence of thyroid C-cell tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) after lifetime exposure at clinically relevant plasma exposures.
  • Pancreatitis: Has been reported in clinical trials. Discontinue promptly if pancreatitis is suspected. Do not restart if pancreatitis is confirmed.
  • Diabetic Retinopathy Complications: Has been reported in a clinical trial. Patients with a history of diabetic retinopathy should be monitored.
  • Never share an OZEMPIC pen between patients, even if the needle is changed.
  • Hypoglycemia: Concomitant use with an insulin secretagogue or insulin may increase the risk of hypoglycemia, including severe hypoglycemia. Reducing dose of insulin secretagogue or insulin may be necessary.
  • Acute Kidney Injury: Monitor renal function in patients with renal impairment reporting severe adverse gastrointestinal reactions.
  • Hypersensitivity Reactions: Serious hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis and angioedema) have been reported. Discontinue OZEMPIC if suspected and promptly seek medical advice.
  • Acute Gallbladder Disease: If cholelithiasis or cholecystitis are suspected, gallbladder studies are indicated. Risk of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors In mice and rats, semaglutide caused a dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent increase in the incidence of thyroid C-cell tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) after lifetime exposure at clinically relevant plasma exposures.
Contraindications
  • Personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2.
  • Known hypersensitivity to semaglutide or any of the excipients in WEGOVY.
  • Personal or family history of MTC or in patients with MEN 2.
  • Serious hypersensitivity reaction to semaglutide or any of the excipients in OZEMPIC.
Drug interactions
  • WEGOVY delays gastric emptying.
  • May impact absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications.
  • Use with caution.
  • Oral Medications: OZEMPIC delays gastric emptying.
  • May impact absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications.
  • Use with caution.
Label version23 April 202422 November 2023

The approvals are different, and that is the whole distinction

Written by us

Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management, and separately for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease who also have obesity or overweight. Ozempic is approved to improve glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes, and to reduce cardiovascular risk in adults who have type 2 diabetes along with cardiovascular disease.

Neither label lists the other's indication. That is why two brand names exist for one molecule: a manufacturer files separately for each use, and each approval produces its own label.

Doses do not match

Written by us

The maximum maintenance dose in the Wegovy label is higher than the maximum in the Ozempic label. Both labels describe a schedule that starts low and increases in steps over several weeks, and both state that the dose is escalated to reduce gastrointestinal effects.

The exact strengths and the escalation steps are listed in the table above, taken from each label.

Warnings and contraindications are the same class warnings

Written by us

Both labels carry the same boxed warning about the risk of thyroid C-cell tumours, and both contraindicate use in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. The reported adverse reactions overlap heavily, which is expected for the same active ingredient.

What this page does not tell you

Written by us

It does not say which one a person should take. That depends on the condition being treated, on the rest of a person's medical history, and on a prescriber's judgement. The labels are regulatory documents describing what was approved and on what evidence, not a guide to choosing.

Common questions

Can Ozempic be prescribed for weight loss?
Weight loss does not appear in the Ozempic label as an approved use. Prescribing outside a label is a decision for a licensed clinician and is outside what this page describes.
Is one of them stronger than the other?
The Wegovy label lists a higher maximum maintenance dose than the Ozempic label. That is a difference in approved dosing, not a claim about which product works better, and the labels do not compare the two against each other.
Are the side effects different?
Both labels list overlapping gastrointestinal adverse reactions as the most common, and both carry the same boxed warning. The full lists from each label are reproduced on the individual pages.

Other comparisons in this category

Sources

Every fact above comes from one of these documents. The date is the effective date of the label version this page was built from.

Page last updated: 29 July 2026

Compiled by the HealthyStudy editorial team from FDA source documents. No medical reviewer is credited on this page, because none reviewed it.