What is Ozempic?

Recently, the media have been promoting a product called Ozempic and have quoted many success stories from people who have achieved dramatic weight loss by using it.

However, Ozempic is not licensed for weight loss and is actually licenced for use in the UK, to control type 2 diabetes.

Is there an alternative to Ozempic?

Yes, there is a very effective product called Saxenda, this is licenced in the UK for weight loss by the MHRA which is available now, to help make your weight loss journey much more successful.

Saxenda dramatically reduces your appetite and combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle can help you to achieve your weight loss goal.

What is the main difference between  Ozempic and Saxenda?

On reading the media articles it would appear, that the main difference between Saxenda and Ozempic, is that Saxenda is a daily injection and Ozempic is a weekly injection.

However, the most important difference between the two is, that Saxenda is licenced for use as weight loss medication in the UK and Ozempic is not.

Unfortunately, there are a few unscrupulous websites and weight loss clinics, that are selling Ozempic, putting profit before safety.

Is Ozempic safe and legal for weight loss?

Before a medicine can be widely used in the UK, it must first be granted a license.

Licences are only granted if strict safety and quality standards are met. In the UK, licences are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). For more detail see the "MHRA Licence" section below.

In other words, Ozempic has not undergone clinical trials to see if it is effective and safe in treating weight loss, so does not have a product license in the UK for treating obesity.

Ozempic  has a product licence for controlling Type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss.

It contains the active substance Liraglutide which helps aid adults with excess weight ( BMI ≥28 ), who also have weight-related medical problems or those with obesity (BMI ≥30), to lose weight and keep the weight off. 

Will Ozempic be available in the future for weight loss?

In fact, Ozempic will never be granted a product licence for weight loss, as it is a brand name. It is the active ingredient in Ozempic called Semaglutide, that is currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of weight loss.

Semaglutide has now been granted a product licence for weight loss under the brand name of Wegovy and will be a different dosage to that used for diabetic control. We understand from the latest information that Wegovy will become available in the UK during the Spring of 2023.

In the meantime, it is safer to use the licenced product Saxenda.

Medically reviewed by
Superintendent pharmacist Margaret Hudson BSc(Hons) MRPharmS
16 February 2021 and updated 21 September 2022 and updated 21 November 2022