Is Ozempic better than Saxenda?

Both tirzepatide and semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy) are administered by weekly injections, and the liraglutide (Saxenda) even by daily injections. “Ozempic we use primarily against diabetes, but now more and more against overweight/obesity.

Ozempic/Wegovy and Saxenda are two drugs in the class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1s-receptor agonists (GLP-1s). GLP-1s, also known as incretin mimetics, are drugs proven to be effective in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and weight loss.

Both Ozempic/Wegovy and Saxenda have been shown to be effective in supporting weight loss in combination with behavioural changes, including diet and exercise. Both drugs are manufactured and marketed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nodisk.

Effectiveness
Both drugs have been shown to be safe and effective treatments to support weight loss. In fact, the class of GLP-1 drugs has been studied for more than 16 years and has repeatedly shown promising results in reducing body weight in obese patients with and without diabetes.

Ozempic / Wegovy
Results of a double-blind study of nearly 2,000 adults with a BMI of 30 or higher showed that 50% of participants were able to lose at least 15% of their initial body weight when using Wegovy in addition to behavioural changes.
Additional research suggests that Wegovy was not only found to be effective in improving diabetes and body weight, but may also help reduce cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of cardiovascular events.

Some studies, including the results of SUSTAIN (semaglutide undiminished durability in the treatment of type 2 diabetes) and STEP (semaglutide treatment effect in obese people) suggest that semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) may be more effective in supporting weight loss than liraglutide (the active ingredient in Saxenda).

Saxenda
Results from five randomised, placebo-controlled studies showed that, in addition to recommended diet and exercise, Saxenda consistently resulted in helping patients lose at least 5-10% of their body weight compared with placebo. Research also suggests that Saxenda may also provide long-term cardiovascular benefits, including improved glycaemic control.
It is important to keep in mind that neither of these drugs offers a “quick fix” for weight loss.
To effectively and safely reap the benefits of both drugs, you need to work closely with the medical provider to ensure that you make consistent changes