Brand-name index
UK brand names for metabolic peptides
A quick reference linking every brand-name medicine to its underlying molecule, manufacturer and MHRA licensing position. Use this as the entry point if you've heard the brand name and need to find the science.
Mounjaro
MHRA-licensedActive ingredient: tirzepatide · Eli Lilly
MHRA-licensed since November 2023 for type 2 diabetes; weight-management indication added in 2024. Prescribed via licensed UK clinicians.
- Type 2 diabetes (MHRA-licensed)
- Chronic weight management in adults with BMI ≥30 or ≥27 with comorbidities (MHRA-licensed 2024)
Wegovy
MHRA-licensedActive ingredient: semaglutide · Novo Nordisk
MHRA-licensed for weight management. NHS availability constrained by specialist weight-management service referral pathway.
- Chronic weight management in adults with BMI ≥30 or ≥27 with comorbidities (MHRA-licensed)
Zepbound
Not UK-licensedActive ingredient: tirzepatide · Eli Lilly
Zepbound is the US brand name for tirzepatide for weight management. In the UK, tirzepatide for the same indication is marketed as Mounjaro (also Eli Lilly).
- Chronic weight management (FDA-approved in US; UK weight-management indication marketed as Mounjaro)
Ozempic
MHRA-licensedActive ingredient: semaglutide · Novo Nordisk
MHRA-licensed for type 2 diabetes only. Off-label prescription for weight loss is not endorsed by the licensed indication; the licensed weight-management product is Wegovy.
- Type 2 diabetes (MHRA-licensed)
Saxenda
MHRA-licensedActive ingredient: liraglutide · Novo Nordisk
MHRA-licensed for weight management. Daily dosing distinguishes it from weekly Wegovy / Mounjaro.
- Chronic weight management in adults with BMI ≥30 or ≥27 with comorbidities (MHRA-licensed)
Rybelsus
MHRA-licensedActive ingredient: semaglutide (oral) · Novo Nordisk
MHRA-licensed oral semaglutide for type 2 diabetes. Absorption requires taking on an empty stomach with minimal water and waiting 30 minutes before food or other medication.
- Type 2 diabetes (MHRA-licensed) — only oral GLP-1 agonist currently available
Victoza
MHRA-licensedActive ingredient: liraglutide · Novo Nordisk
MHRA-licensed for type 2 diabetes glycaemic control. LEADER cardiovascular outcomes trial established MACE reduction in T2D + high CV risk. Daily injection; distinct from the weight-management indication held by the higher-dose Saxenda formulation.
- Type 2 diabetes (MHRA-licensed)
Trulicity
MHRA-licensedActive ingredient: dulaglutide · Eli Lilly
MHRA-licensed once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes glycaemic control. REWIND cardiovascular outcomes trial established MACE reduction in T2D + high CV risk (including a sizeable primary-prevention subset). Active comparator in SURPASS-CVOT.
- Type 2 diabetes (MHRA-licensed)
Egrifta
Not UK-licensedActive ingredient: tesamorelin · Theratechnologies
Tesamorelin (Egrifta) is FDA-approved in the US for HIV-associated lipodystrophy and is not currently MHRA-licensed in the UK at the time of review. UK access is via jurisdiction-specific clinical pathways where applicable.
- HIV-associated lipodystrophy (US FDA-approved; not currently MHRA-licensed in the UK at the time of review)
CagriSema
Not UK-licensedActive ingredient: cagrilintide + semaglutide combination · Novo Nordisk
CagriSema is investigational and is not licensed by the MHRA for any human therapeutic indication. The phase 3 REDEFINE programme readouts are evolving during the 2024-2026 cycle.
- Investigational — phase 3 REDEFINE programme for obesity (REDEFINE 1) and type 2 diabetes (REDEFINE 2)
How to read brand-name landings
Each brand landing summarises the MHRA licensing position, the clinical-trial evidence behind that brand's approved indication, the licensed dosing schedule, side-effect profile, and how it differs from the closest brand-name alternatives. For the deeper mechanism and full research record of the underlying molecule, every brand page links back to the molecule profile (e.g. Mounjaro → tirzepatide).
Looking for which UK-licensed brands contain semaglutide? See semaglutide brands and the drug class for Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus side by side.