Wegovy and Mounjaro are two injectable prescription drugs used to assist decrease blood sugar and A1c ranges (a measure of glucose management over the earlier 2 to three months) and assist with weight reduction.
This information will enable you to determine whether or not Wegovy or Mounjaro is likely to be extra acceptable for you.
What are the energetic substances in Wegovy versus Mounjaro?
The energetic ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide and the energetic ingredient in Mounjaro is tirzepatide. Their mechanisms of motion differ barely.
Semaglutide mimics the glucose-like peptide (GLP)-1 hormones within the physique, which play a task in reducing urge for food, slowing abdomen emptying, decreasing the discharge of glucose from the liver, and growing insulin launch.
Tirzepatide has a twin perform. It mimics each GLP-1 and GIP incretin hormones.
Whereas it shares GLP-1’s results, the addition of GIP motion enhances insulin launch in response to excessive blood sugar and performs a task in fats metabolism. This enhances their capability to control urge for food and stop overeating.
Wegovy and Mounjaro are comparable medicine, however they can’t be mixed or used on the similar time.
Why do folks take Wegovy or Mounjaro?
Wegovy is FDA-approved for the therapy of weight problems and to assist with weight reduction.
It’s accredited to be used in folks with a body-mass index (BMI, a measure of weight relative to top) of 30 or larger or with a BMI of 27 or larger with a number of weight-related situations (comparable to kind 2 diabetes, hypertension, or excessive ldl cholesterol).
Adolescents 12 years and older with a BMI at or larger than the ninety fifth percentile for age and intercourse are additionally accredited to take Wegovy.
Mounjaro is FDA-approved as a therapy to assist adults with kind 2 diabetes handle their blood sugar ranges.
They’re each liquid, injectable drugs that assist decrease blood sugar ranges and A1c ranges. They’re taken subcutaneously (slightly below the pores and skin) in areas such because the stomach, thigh, or higher arm.
Study extra about administering these medicines in: Wegovy Injection Information: The place and How you can Inject and Mounjaro Injection: The place and How you can Inject.
Folks coping with insulin resistance and weight acquire could also be prescribed one in every of these drugs. It’s because, along with blood sugar administration, additionally they gradual digestion and suppress urge for food.
Learn extra in: Can Wegovy Assist You Lose Weight? and Can Mounjaro Assist You Lose Weight?
Lastly, Wegovy and Mounjaro each decrease the danger of coronary heart assault and stroke.
How are Wegovy and Mounjaro comparable?
The next are the consequences of each drugs:
Decrease blood sugar and A1c ranges
Each have been confirmed to decrease blood sugar and A1c ranges.
Individuals who take the utmost dose of Mounjaro (15 milligrams [mg] per week) decrease their A1c by a mean of two.3 %.
The STEP 2 trial checked out Wegovy’s results on blood sugars and A1c ranges in individuals who have kind 2 diabetes.
The researchers discovered that members taking the treatment not solely misplaced weight however noticed statistically important enhancements of their blood sugars and A1c ranges.
These drugs do that by growing insulin secretion.
This motion stops the liver from releasing glucose into the bloodstream, serving to to stop low blood sugars whereas growing insulin sensitivity.
Might trigger weight reduction
In research, each medicines trigger weight reduction in members by suppressing urge for food and inhibiting the liver from releasing glucose.
In a single examine, grownup members taking Wegovy misplaced 15 % of their beginning weight, on common.
A separate examine discovered that adolescents taking Wegovy misplaced 16 % of their beginning weight, on common.
Mounjaro also can assist with weight reduction, though it’s not FDA-approved as a standalone weight-loss drug. Nevertheless, the FDA has accredited a medicine referred to as Zepbound for this objective.
Zepbound is chemically equivalent to Mounjaro, containing the identical energetic ingredient on the similar energy, however it’s marketed below a unique title when used for weight-loss therapy.
In research, Mounjaro helped folks lose 12 to fifteen kilos on a 5-mg weekly dose, between 15 and 21 kilos on a 10-mg weekly dose, and between 17 and 25 kilos on a 15-mg weekly dose.
There isn’t a advisable dose to take for weight reduction since these drugs aren’t accredited for this objective by the FDA.
(For Zepbound, the weight-loss model of Mounjaro, accessible doses are 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg taken by injection as soon as weekly, with 15 mg being the utmost dose.)
Learn extra in: Every part You Must Know About Zepbound.
Discuss together with your physician when you’re concerned with reducing weight. They’ll offer you data on each pharmaceutical and life-style approaches that may assist.
Defend coronary heart well being
These drugs each decrease coronary heart illness threat, which is necessary for folks residing with diabetes.
In research, after 52 weeks, members on the very best dose of Mounjaro (15 mg per week):
- Lowered their complete ldl cholesterol by about 5.6 %
- Lowered their triglycerides by 22.5 %
- Lowered their LDL (“unhealthy”) ldl cholesterol by 7.9 %
- Lowered their VLDL ldl cholesterol by 21.8 %
- Elevated their HDL (“good”) ldl cholesterol by 10.8 %
Moreover, a meta-analysis (evaluation of information from a number of scientific trials) from The Lancet discovered that GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, together with semaglutide (the energetic ingredient in Wegovy), lowered cardiovascular threat.
They even decreased the danger of demise in folks with diabetes and coronary heart illness.
The American Diabetes Affiliation (ADA) recommends GLP-1 agonists for individuals who have kind 2 diabetes and coronary heart illness to decrease the danger of coronary heart assault and stroke.
Along with drugs, consuming a nutritious diet and growing the quantity of bodily exercise you routinely get will go a protracted strategy to enhancing your coronary heart well being.
Might trigger adversarial negative effects
Folks expertise comparable negative effects whereas taking both of those drugs.
They might each trigger nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, suppressed urge for food, and low blood sugar (when you take insulin).
Unwanted side effects will probably be extra extreme if you first begin taking the treatment till your physique adjusts to it.
Contact your physician when you’re experiencing debilitating negative effects which are negatively affecting your high quality of life.
They’ll both decrease your dose or discover another treatment for you.
Study extra in: Wegovy Facet Results: What You Must Know and Mounjaro Facet Results: What You Must Know.
They don’t change insulin
Whereas these drugs decrease blood sugar ranges, they don’t change the necessity for insulin.
They might, over time, cut back the quantity of insulin you require, however they don’t seem to be insulin nor are they replacements for insulin.
Discuss together with your physician when you’re experiencing frequent low blood sugar.
They may help you recalibrate your insulin doses so you may expertise fewer lows.
They’re taken as soon as weekly
In contrast to different GLP-1 drugs like Victoza, each Wegovy and Mounjaro are solely taken as soon as weekly.
By no means take a couple of dose inside a single week.
They are often taken with or with out meals
These drugs don’t trigger acute low blood sugar and will be taken each with or with out meals.
The necessary factor is that they’re taken on the identical day every week (ideally across the similar time, so that you all the time keep in mind to take your dose).
Generally folks will pair taking their treatment with a meal, like breakfast, however it’s not required.
Should you expertise acute nausea instantly after taking your treatment, it’s possible you’ll need to eat one thing bland like oatmeal or toast to assist.
They might trigger adjustments to your imaginative and prescient
These drugs might trigger or worsen diabetic retinopathy, particularly if you first begin taking them.
Research present that semaglutide (the energetic ingredient in Wegovy) is related to the early worsening of diabetic retinopathy.
Equally, the energetic ingredient in Mounjaro (tirzepatide) could make diabetic retinopathy worse.
Though this aspect impact doesn’t happen in all individuals who take these drugs, the medicine do include an elevated threat of imaginative and prescient adjustments and worsening imaginative and prescient.
Discuss together with your physician if in case you have early-stage diabetic retinopathy or are involved that taking Wegovy or Mounjaro might impression your eye well being.
How are Wegovy and Mounjaro completely different?
Wegovy and Moujaro, whereas being remarkably comparable, are completely different medicine.
The next are the methods during which these drugs differ:
They’ve completely different doses
The doses for Wegovy are the next:
- New to therapy: 0.25 mg as soon as per week for the primary 4 weeks.
- Ongoing therapy: 0.5 mg as soon as per week beginning on week 5. In case your physician thinks you require extra, there are doses accessible in 1-mg, 1.7-mg, and a pair of.4-mg pens.
Learn extra: Wegovy Dosage Information: How A lot Ought to You Take?
The doses for Mounjaro are the next:
- New to therapy: 2.5 mg as soon as per week for the primary 4 weeks.
- Ongoing therapy: 5 mg as soon as per week beginning on week 5. In case your physician thinks you require extra, there are doses accessible in 7.5-mg, 10-mg, 12.5-mg, and 15-mg pens. For the reason that energetic substances are completely different, these drugs are usually not interchangeable.
Learn extra: Mounjaro Dosing Information: How A lot Ought to You Take?
For the reason that energetic substances are completely different, these doses are usually not interchangeable and it may be very harmful when you try to make use of them on this method.
They’ve completely different energetic substances
The energetic ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide (the identical as in Ozempic), and the energetic ingredient in Mounjaro is tirzepatide.
Discuss together with your physician in case you are allergic to at least one or the opposite’s energetic ingredient in order that they will prescribe you another.
They’re FDA-approved for various causes
Wegovy is meant for use as a weight-loss and/or weight-maintenance drug. It isn’t an accredited treatment for the therapy of kind 2 diabetes.
Nevertheless, many individuals who take Wegovy for weight reduction or weight upkeep also can expertise the improved blood sugar results of taking the treatment.
Mounjaro, however, is an FDA-approved treatment for the administration of blood sugar ranges in folks with kind 2 diabetes.
It additionally helps with weight reduction, regardless that it’s not FDA-approved as a weight-loss drug. (As famous above, a model of the drugs often known as Zepbound has been accredited by the FDA for weight reduction.)
Since many individuals with kind 2 diabetes additionally wrestle with their weight, taking Mounjaro for improved blood sugar administration also can assist with weight reduction.
Can I change between the 2 medicine?
In some instances, sure.
So long as you don’t have any allergic reactions to the substances of the opposite treatment, it could be doable.
Should you’re experiencing extreme adversarial negative effects on one drug, it’s possible you’ll want to attempt one other to see in case your physique will regulate higher to it.
You’re extra probably to have the ability to change between these two drugs when you fall below the eligibility standards for each. Specifically, weight problems and sort 2 diabetes.
Should you solely have kind 2 diabetes, your insurance coverage might solely cowl Mounjaro for you.
Alternately, if in case you have weight problems however not kind 2 diabetes, it’s possible you’ll solely qualify for Wegovy.
Solely change drugs below the steerage of your physician.
The dosing is totally completely different between the 2 drugs and overdosing on these drugs could cause extreme negative effects.
These negative effects embrace nausea, vomiting, and low blood sugar ranges — which will be deadly if not handled shortly.
Can I get off my different diabetes drugs if I lose sufficient weight on Wegovy or Mounjaro?
This can be doable, however it’s not possible.
Reducing weight may help enhance each insulin resistance and blood sugar ranges. Generally this makes your insulin or different diabetes drugs pointless.
Nevertheless, neither Wegovy nor Mounjaro will treatment diabetes.
You might be able to decrease your insulin wants or cease taking insulin utterly when you’ve misplaced a major quantity of weight and your blood sugar ranges are very properly managed.
It will solely apply to individuals who have kind 2 diabetes, as folks with kind 1 diabetes should take insulin for all times.
Test together with your physician if in case you have questions on taking your different diabetes drugs whereas on Wegovy or Mounjaro.
Is Wegovy higher than Mounjaro?
Particular person responses to those medicines fluctuate, and what’s higher for one individual might not be higher for an additional.
Moreover, as a result of they’re accredited for various functions, it’s difficult to immediately evaluate their effectiveness.
By way of weight reduction alone, current analysis has steered that folks taking the energetic ingredient in Mounjaro usually tend to lose 5 %, 10 %, or 15 % of their weight and to have a bigger discount of their weight at 3, 6, and 12 months in comparison with these taking the energetic ingredient in Wegovy.
How a lot do Wegovy and Mounjaro price?
The price of Wegovy and Mounjaro varies relying in your insurance coverage protection and particular plan particulars.
To find out your particular co-pay or out-of-pocket prices, seek the advice of your prescription or medical card and use the Wegovy or Mounjaro protection and co-pay calculators.
If in case you have questions concerning protection or co-pay prices for Wegovy, you may contact Novo Nordisk buyer help at 1-888-693-4883. For Mounjaro, Eli Lilly gives buyer help at 1-800-545-5979.
For individuals who qualify, each Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly supply Affected person Help Packages (PAP) which will present free treatment.
To be taught extra about these packages and see in case you are eligible, contact Novo Nordisk’s PAP toll-free at 1-866-310-7549 or Eli Lilly’s PAP at 1-800-545-6962.
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