Ozempic
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a medicine designed to treat people with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is a branded medicine manufactured by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk Inc.
The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide, which is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 is an incretin mimetic, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
It does this by helping the body to produce more insulin when needed and suppressing the amount of glucose produced by the liver.
Ozempic and weight loss
You might have heard about Ozempic being used as a weight loss treatment and be wondering how Ozempic can help you lose weight.
Ozempic isn’t licensed as a weight loss treatment. However, the active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, can help to regulate your appetite, keeping you feeling fuller for longer and reducing cravings. This, alongside healthy eating and regular exercise, can be very effective for losing weight.
Need treatment?
Weight Loss TreatmentWhere can I buy Ozempic?
Ozempic is a prescription-only medicine that you would need to get from your GP, hospital specialist or a licensed online pharmacy, like Boots Online Doctor. We have a range of other weight loss treatments available including similar medicines made by the same manufacturer as Ozempic.
For example, Saxenda, a weight loss injection pen containing liraglutide, is similar to Ozempic. It helps you feel fuller, reducing hunger levels and cravings and resulting in improved control of eating habits. Find out more about Saxenda.
Can I take Ozempic as a non-diabetic?
Ozempic is only licensed as a medicine for type 2 diabetes but is sometimes prescribed off-label as a weight loss treatment. Find out more about off-label medicines here.
Is Wegovy the same as Ozempic?
Wegovy is manufactured by Novo Nordisk Inc., the same pharmaceutical company that manufactures Ozempic, and contains the same active ingredient – semaglutide.
Wegovy has been created specifically for supporting weight loss and has been approved and licensed for this purpose.
Wegovy isn’t available in the UK yet, but we’re hoping to be able to offer it soon.
Other weight loss treatments
We also have a variety of other treatments currently available to support you on your weight loss journey.
Saxenda works in a similar way to Wegovy and Ozempic, by helping to reduce appetite and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Orlistat and Xenical are both capsules that work by stopping your body from absorbing some of the fat from the food you eat. These medicines are best used alongside a lower fat healthy eating plan.
What’s the difference between Ozempic and Rybelsus?
Ozempic and Rybelsus are made by the same manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, and have the same active ingredient, semaglutide. They are both primarily designed to treat people with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic comes in the form of a self-injection pen. Rybelsus comes in tablet form.
What else can I do to lose weight?
In addition to the weight loss medicines we can prescribe, we also have a host of resources available for free to help you with your weight loss goals.
These include recommended eating plans, live webinars with our expert lifestyle medicine team and our 10-week weight loss programme. Visit our lifestyle hub to find out more.
Does Ozempic for weight loss have side effects?
As with all medicines, Ozempic comes with some side effects. These are similar to the side effects you might experience while using Saxenda or Wegovy for weight loss.
See our dedicated page on what these side effects might be and how to manage them.
Last reviewed on: 14/09/2023