Wegovy is a weight loss medication that has been proven to work in clinical trials. It is made by Novo Nordisk and comes as a pre-filled pen that you can give yourself injections with, once a week.

It works by making you not want to eat as much. When used with a healthy diet and exercise, it can help you lose weight.

It’s available on prescription for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above, or 27 and above with weight-related conditions.

Are Wegovy and Ozempic the same?

Wegovy contains Semaglutide, the same active ingredient as Ozempic. They are both used as weight loss injections.

Unlike Wegovy, Ozempic is only licensed for diabetes treatment. But because it has the same ingredient, it is sometimes prescribed for weight loss off-label. On the other hand, Wegovy is licensed for weight loss and does not need to be prescribed off-label.

The drug works by reducing your appetite. It means you consume fewer calories and you will lose weight gradually.

The active ingredient, Semaglutide, is a type of medicine called a GLP-1 agonist. This is the same type of medicine as the weight loss drug Saxenda. These medications work by making your body produce more of a hormone called GLP-1. This hormone affects how hungry you feel.

Increasing GLP-1 levels slows down digestion and stomach emptying. It affects your appetite because you feel fuller for longer which means you eat less. Over time, this results in weight loss.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that Wegovy is effective for weight loss.