There are three GLP-1 medications you'll hear about in South Africa for weight management. Below: what each one is, how it works, and how it's prescribed.
Wegovy is the brand name for semaglutide manufactured by Novo Nordisk. It's the medication most directly designed for chronic weight management — SAHPRA-approved in South Africa for adults with obesity, or those who are overweight with a related condition like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnoea.
Wegovy mimics GLP-1, a hormone your body makes after meals. It works on receptors in your brain and gut, slowing how fast food leaves your stomach and reducing the constant pull of cravings. Most people find they eat less without it feeling like a battle.
A once-weekly injection that starts low and steps up over about four months, giving your body time to adjust at each level. The full target dose is reached gradually and held there.
Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide manufactured by Eli Lilly. It's the newest of the three medications and the only one of them that acts on two appetite hormones at once, rather than one. It's SAHPRA-approved for type 2 diabetes, with weight management use considered at a clinician's discretion.
Mounjaro is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist. In plain terms, it activates two of your body's appetite and metabolism pathways at the same time, where Wegovy and Ozempic activate one. Clinical trials have generally shown greater weight loss on Mounjaro than on GLP-1-only medications, though the right choice depends on the person, not the headline number.
A once-weekly injection that starts low and steps up gradually. Most people settle at a maintenance dose somewhere between 5 mg and 15 mg, depending on how their body responds.
Ozempic is the brand name for semaglutide — the same active ingredient as Wegovy — manufactured by Novo Nordisk. SAHPRA-approved in South Africa for type 2 diabetes. The maximum approved dose is lower than Wegovy's, and Ozempic is not registered specifically for weight management here.
Ozempic and Wegovy share the same active ingredient and work the same way in your body. What's different is the maximum dose and the clinical context: Ozempic is registered in South Africa only for type 2 diabetes, and at a lower top dose than Wegovy.
A once-weekly injection that starts low and adjusts based on clinical response. Lower maximum dose than Wegovy.
Indicative monthly cost ranges for GLP-1 medications across South African pharmacies. Prices vary by pharmacy, dose and supply — these are estimates to help you plan, not a quote.
Indicative market estimates only. Prices vary between pharmacies and may change without notice. Your final cost is confirmed by your dispensing pharmacy at the point of script.
Your Loome clinical team decides which medication suits you, based on your weight history, other health conditions, what's actually available, and how your body responds. It's not a tick-box exercise.
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