Same drug — semaglutide — sold as two brands. Ozempic is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy for chronic weight management, at a higher maximum dose.
| Wegovy | Ozempic | |
|---|---|---|
| Active drug | semaglutide | semaglutide |
| Drug class | GLP-1 receptor agonist | GLP-1 receptor agonist |
| FDA-approved for | Chronic weight management | Type 2 diabetes |
| How it's taken | Once-weekly injection | Once-weekly injection |
| Maker | Novo Nordisk | Novo Nordisk |
Wegovy and Ozempic are the same active medicine — semaglutide — both made by Novo Nordisk as a once-weekly injection. The confusion is understandable, but the difference isn't the molecule; it's the brand, the maximum dose, and the FDA-approved use.
Ozempic is approved to treat type 2 diabetes (up to 2 mg per week) and, in some adults, to lower cardiovascular risk — weight loss is a secondary effect. Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management (up to 2.4 mg per week) and was studied specifically for weight. So a person's diagnosis, goal, and insurance — not a difference in the drug — usually decide which brand is prescribed.
In its pivotal weight trial (STEP 1), Wegovy produced about a 15% average body-weight reduction over 68 weeks. Ozempic's weight loss, at its lower diabetes doses, is generally smaller — though it is the identical molecule. These are trial averages; individual results vary. This is general information, not medical advice.
If the question is “which is better for weight loss,” Wegovy is the version FDA-approved and dosed for it. If it's “are they interchangeable,” they're the same drug but not the same product — dose and approved use differ, and only a clinician should start, switch, or dose them.
General information, not medical advice, and not a substitute for your clinician. Efficacy figures are pivotal-trial averages — individual results, side effects, and cost vary. Only a licensed healthcare professional can choose, start, switch, or dose these medicines.