Ozempic vs Wegovy vs Mounjaro vs Zepbound: how they compare

What are Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound?

These four brands come from just two medicines. Ozempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide¹, and Mounjaro and Zepbound are both tirzepatide.⁶ So comparing the four names is really comparing two active ingredients sold under different brands for different approved uses.

Semaglutide is a GLP‑1 receptor agonist — it acts like the natural gut hormone GLP‑1. MedlinePlus describes it as belonging to “a class of medications called incretin mimetics.”¹

Tirzepatide works on two hormone pathways. Its FDA label describes it as “a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist”^4,5 — in plain terms, it mimics two gut hormones instead of one. MedlinePlus also groups tirzepatide with the “incretin mimetics.”⁶

What is each one FDA-approved to treat?

The approved use is the clearest difference, and it comes straight from each drug’s FDA label. Ozempic is “indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus,” and also lists use “to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established cardiovascular disease.”²

Mounjaro is the other type 2 diabetes medicine here — “indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus.”⁴

Wegovy is approved for weight, not diabetes: “to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity,” and also “to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events… in adults with established CV disease and either obesity or overweight.”³

Zepbound is also a weight medicine, with a second listed use: “to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity or adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition,” and “to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity.”⁵ A weight-related comorbid condition means an extra health problem tied to weight, such as high blood pressure.

How are they given?

All four are injections you give yourself under the skin, once a week. MedlinePlus says semaglutide “comes as a solution (liquid) in a prefilled dosing pen to inject subcutaneously (under the skin)” and “is injected once a week.”¹

For the semaglutide brands, the Wegovy label says to administer it once weekly and to “inject subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm.”³ “Subcutaneous” just means the shot goes into the fatty layer under the skin, not a muscle or vein.

The tirzepatide brands are the same here. Mounjaro is given by subcutaneous injection “once weekly at any time of day, with or without meals,”⁴ and Zepbound is likewise injected subcutaneously once weekly.⁵ MedlinePlus adds that tirzepatide “can be injected in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.”⁶

Quick comparison

The label-based picture at a glance. This describes what each drug’s FDA label lists — it does not compare how well they work or say one is better than another.

Brand	Active ingredient	FDA-approved use (per label)	How it’s given
Ozempic	Semaglutide1	Type 2 diabetes blood-sugar control; also CV risk reduction in type 2 diabetes with heart disease2	Subcutaneous injection, once weekly1
Wegovy	Semaglutide3	Chronic weight management; also CV risk reduction in adults with heart disease and obesity or overweight3	Subcutaneous injection, once weekly3
Mounjaro	Tirzepatide4	Type 2 diabetes blood-sugar control4	Subcutaneous injection, once weekly4
Zepbound	Tirzepatide5	Chronic weight management; also moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity5	Subcutaneous injection, once weekly5

If you’re weighing these options, the labels are the factual starting point, and a licensed clinician is the right person to talk to about which approved use fits your situation.