Effectiveness
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Mounjaro generally achieves greater weight loss in clinical trials:
- Average 20.9% body weight reduction over 72 weeks at maximum dose¹
- Up to 90.9% of patients achieved at least 5% weight loss¹
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Wegovy shows strong but somewhat lesser results:
- Average 14.9% body weight reduction over 68 weeks at maximum dose²
- Up to 86.4% of patients achieved at least 5% weight loss²
Mechanism of action
- Wegovy targets GLP-1 receptors only
- Mounjaro targets both GLP-1 and GIP receptors (dual action)
Side effect profile
- Both have similar side effects, primarily gastrointestinal
- Some patients report differences in side effect severity between the medications, but this varies by individual
Contraception considerations
- Mounjaro requires additional contraception during dose increases for those using oral contraceptives
- Wegovy does not have this requirement
Footnotes
1. Jastreboff, A. M., Aronne, L. J., Ahmad, N. N., Wharton, S., Connery, L., Alves, B., Kiyosue, A., Zhang, S., Liu, B., Bunck, M. C., & others. (2022). Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, 387(3), 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
2. Wilding, J. P. H., Batterham, R. L., Calanna, S., Davies, M., van Gaal, L. F., Lingvay, I., McGowan, B. M., Rosenstock, J., Tran, M. T. D., Wadden, T. A., Wharton, S., Yokote, K., Zeuthen, N., & Kushner, R. F. (2021). Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11), 989–1002. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183