THE SHORT VERSION
- Both medicines can support weight loss when prescribed appropriately, but they are not interchangeable. Your prescriber weighs your history, other medicines, side effects and access.
Mechanism
Mounjaro activates GIP and GLP-1 receptors; Wegovy activates GLP-1 receptors. Trial averages differ; individual response varies.
Evidence and licensing
Wegovy’s familiar maintenance dose is 2.4mg weekly, but the MHRA has approved use up to a maximum of 7.2mg weekly for adult patients with obesity where clinically appropriate and prescribed. The 7.2mg dose should only be used exactly as directed by a prescriber.
NICE technology appraisals set NHS access criteria; private routes still require clinical assessment.
Sources you can check
- NICE TA1026 on tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
- NICE TA875 on semaglutide (Wegovy)
- MHRA approval of Wegovy up to 7.2mg
- STEP UP trial (The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2025)
Editorial presentation updated 24 October 2026. This is general information, not individual medical advice or a claim of independent clinical review. Read the linked source and the leaflet supplied with your medicine for the full context. Suggest a correction.