A few days ago, we spoke about the potential application of the Mounjaro (aka Tirzepatide) drug as a remedy for losing weight. Mounjaro is a diabetes medication that now grants hope to many who are willing to lose weight. Type 2 diabetes affects the vast majority of Americans who suffer from diabetes: roughly 37 million individuals. Mounjaro is used for treating that specific type of diabetes.
However, it’s time to compare Mounjaro to Ozempic, another prescription medicine that needs to be used along with exercise and diet. Ozempic can also overcome the effects of type 2 diabetes if it’s used the right way, as it can help control glucose levels in the case of adults.
In other words, both Mounjaro and Ozempic are being used for the same disease. But even so, what are the differences between the two, and which one is better? Let’s try to find out!
Mounjaro is apparently better than Ozempic
Mounjaro and Ozempic were compared in a study that involved more than 1,870 participants who were suffering from type 2 diabetes. The researchers responsible for the study wanted to see how these drugs affected blood sugar control and weight loss.
The research compared Mounjaro injections at doses of 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg to Ozempic injections at a 1 mg dose. Those who participated in the study had high blood sugar levels despite taking metformin. At the beginning of the research, their average A1C was 8.3%, while their average weight was 94.1 kg (207 lb).
Compared to the Ozempic group, Mounjaro resulted in a bigger reduction in A1C levels. On average, Mounjaro also made the participants lose more weight compared to the results Ozempic had.
It’s important to keep in mind that Ozempic is now approved at a higher dose of 2 mg, but it is still unknown how effective it is compared to Mounjaro at this higher dose.
Don’t forget about the side effects!
Both Mounjaro and Ozempic are able to induce stomach-related side effects, especially when the patient begins the treatment. Gradually increasing the dose according to the doctor’s indications can help reduce these effects.
It’s difficult to compare the side effects between Mounjaro and Ozempic or with a placebo because there had been using different doses, patients, and study designs.
Common side effects of Mounjaro include decreased appetite, vomiting, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain. Roughly 40% of Mounjaro users have experienced such side effects, and a small percentage had to stop taking the medication because of stomach issues. However, it’s important to mention that most of the stomach-related side effects occurred at the beginning of treatment and improved over time.
As for Ozempic, common side effects include conditions such as nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and stomach pain. Around 35% of Ozempic users experienced stomach-related side effects, while a small percentage stopped taking the medication due to these issues.
It’s important to know that both Mounjaro and Ozempic have a warning about the potential risk of thyroid tumors occurring after taking the medications, including cancer. If you have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or a certain endocrine system condition, you should definitely avoid using these medications. Symptoms of thyroid tumors can include trouble swallowing, a lump in the neck, shortness of breath, or persistent hoarseness. For more information, you should consider consulting your doctor.
How to take Mounjaro or Ozempic?
Whether you need to take Mounjaro or Ozempic, you will be given injections under the skin on a weekly basis. To be more precise, the injections will take place in the stomach area, upper arm, or thigh. You should take either one of the two drugs only after asking your doctor for advice.
The starting dose of Mounjaro injections that are usually recommended is 2.5mg subcutaneously (under the skin) once a week. After four weeks of treatment, the dosage will be increased to 5mg per week if your doctor reckons that additional glycemic control is needed. However, the maximum possible dosage is 15 mg once weekly, administered under the skin.
As for Ozempic, you will need to start taking it as injections as well and as 0.25mg once weekly. After taking the treatment for 4 weeks, the dose will be increased to 0.5mg once every week. The maximum recommended dose of Ozempic is 2mg every week.
The purpose of starting the treatment with either Mounjaro or Ozempic in small doses is to help prevent common side effects that are related to the stomach, such as vomiting, nausea, decreased appetite, constipation, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Mounjari and Ozempic costs
The price of Mounjaro depends on the dosage. The recommended weekly dose ranges from 5 mg to 15 mg. Mounjaro single-dose pens are available in different strengths, such as 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg. For example, a carton containing four 5 mg of Mounjaro pens costs around $1086. This carton should last for a single month, but you need to keep in mind that prices may vary. The prices for different Mounjaro pen strengths are usually similar.
The cost of Ozempic also depends on the dosage. The recommended weekly dose ranges from 0.5 mg to 2 mg. Ozempic injection pens are available in strengths of 2 mg, 4 mg, and 8 mg per pen. A 3 mL Ozempic pen that holds 4 mg and delivers 1 mg per injection costs roughly $995. If you use a 1 mg dose, this pen will last for one month (one 1 mg dose per week for 4 weeks). Prices may vary here as well. Each carton of Ozempic pens also includes NovoFine Plus needles. The prices for different Ozempic pen strengths are about the same.
Both Mounjaro and Ozempic belong to the same class of drugs, which is known as incretin mimetics. There are some differences, though. Mounjaro is able to act on both GLP-1 and GIP receptors. As for Ozempic, it acts only in the case of GLP-1 receptors.
