If you’ve made it to our website, you’ve probably heard about a little medication called semaglutide—but what is it, and what do you use it for?

There’s a lot to learn about semaglutide, so much so that we could (and have!) write pages and pages about it, but today, we’re going to go back to basics.

We’re going to find out what semaglutide is used for, why it may be prescribed to you, and which similar medications are on the market. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s begin with what you came here for and find out what semaglutide is used for.

What is Ozempic used for?

Ozempic is a medication for type 2 diabetes mellitus (or just type 2 diabetes). It’s formulated to help patients regulate their blood sugar levels.

It affects two hormones created by your pancreas, insulin and glucagon, which both play an important role in your body’s glucose management systems.

It helps stimulate insulin production, which is essential to diabetes patients. Their condition means that their body cannot produce enough insulin or that their insulin isn’t as effective as it should be.

Insulin lets your cells absorb glucose when it’s been broken down from your food, so if you don’t have enough, it can cause your blood sugar levels to keep rising, which can be very dangerous if left unchecked.

GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic can boost insulin levels, making them an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes. As they’ve become more available, they’ve grown in popularity over recent years.

Can semaglutide also be used for weight loss?

Semaglutide is also the active ingredient in Wegovy, an injectable weight loss medication that was released in the UK in 2023. Although they contain the same active ingredient, they’ve been prescribed under different brand names for different purposes.

As GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like semaglutide have been developed and tested, studies have shown that their active ingredients can help patients lose weight, even though that wasn’t their initial purpose. 

Before Wegovy was released, Ozempic was prescribed off-license for weight loss in addition to diabetes. However, now that Wegovy is available, this is no longer the case, and the drugs remain separate in the UK.

Semaglutide impacts your hormones and blood sugar levels and has the added bonus of reducing your hunger levels and slowing down the process of your food leaving your stomach, so you’ll feel fuller for longer.

Naturally, this has led to semaglutide and medications from the same drug group being researched for their potential as weight loss treatments. As it stands in 2024, there are three GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss: Saxenda (though mostly discontinued in favour of the more recent Wegovy), Wegovy and Mounjaro.

Is Ozempic used for weight loss?

Ozempic is the brand name for semaglutide, which is used to manage type 2 diabetes; therefore, it’s not meant for weight loss. Although these medications use the same active ingredient and work the same way, medication regulations and licensing mean that you should not use one for the purpose of the other.

It’s a bit tricky, but the main difference between Ozempic and Wegovy is in the doses of each medication. For example, if you were prescribed Ozempic for diabetes and tried to use it for weight loss without proper guidance from a healthcare professional, you may end up taking the wrong dose.

This could lead to you taking an overdose of semaglutide or taking too little for it to be effective; both of these scenarios have their own dangers and concerns. If you have been prescribed Ozempic for diabetes, you should not try to use it for anything else unless you are specifically told to by a healthcare professional; it’s all about your safety at the end of the day.

Are there any alternatives to Ozempic?

As we mentioned earlier, Wegovy isn’t the only GLP-1 receptor agonist available, and you do have other options if this one isn’t for you. If you think you would benefit from using a similar medication for weight loss, you could ask your prescriber about Saxenda or Mounjaro.

Saxenda uses an active ingredient called liraglutide. This ingredient works similarly to semaglutide but requires daily injections instead of the weekly injections you would take with semaglutide. Liraglutide can also be used for type 2 diabetes management (under the brand name Victoza).

Then there’s Mounjaro which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide. Unlike similar medications, tirzepatide is both a GIP receptor agonist and a GLP-1 receptor agonist. We’ve explained how GLP-1 medications work, but how does a GIP work? Well, GIP regulates blood sugar and fat metabolism and helps to encourage the production of insulin in the body and increase insulin sensitivity.

However, if you’re still interested in taking semaglutide but don’t like needles, you may want to learn more about Rybelsus.

What is Rybelsus used to treat?

Rybelsus is a tablet form of semaglutide used for type 2 diabetes management. It works exactly the same way as Ozempic, using the same active ingredient, but it can be a better choice for patients who prefer to take tablets or cannot inject Ozempic.

Rybelsus has also been licensed in the UK for diabetes management, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be considered for licensing as a weight loss medication anytime soon. Of course, we’ll update our information if anything changes there.

Well, now you know exactly what Ozempic and Wegovy are used for and how they can help patients with type 2 diabetes manage their blood glucose levels. If you want to learn more about semaglutide, our team has written many other articles with extensive information about this medication, so why not take a look?

You may be surprised at what you could learn next!