Plain-English explainer
Semaglutide brands in the UK: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus — and the drug class
Semaglutide brands in the UK: Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, all Novo Nordisk medicines. Which brand is for what, and which drug class is semaglutide in?
Semaglutide brands licensed in the UK are Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus. All three are Novo Nordisk medicines built on the same active ingredient, and all three are MHRA-licensed UK prescription medicines. The class is GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Key facts
- Drug class — GLP-1 receptor agonist (a GLP-1 monoagonist).
- Three UK-licensed brands — Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus; the active ingredient is identical and only the dose, formulation and licensed use differ.
- Manufacturer — Novo Nordisk for all three.
- Not semaglutide — Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Saxenda and Victoza (liraglutide).
What drug class is semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist — a synthetic, long-acting copy of the natural gut hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) that activates the GLP-1 receptor.
Within that class semaglutide is a monoagonist: it acts on the GLP-1 receptor alone, like liraglutide. Tirzepatide is a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist and retatrutide is a triple GLP-1/GIP/glucagon agonist. Semaglutide has been chemically modified to give a half-life of about 7 days, versus 13 hours for liraglutide and roughly 90 seconds for native GLP-1. To understand the hormone itself, read What is GLP-1?; for the receptor pathway, see GLP-1 receptor signalling.
Which UK-licensed brand names contain semaglutide?
Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus are proprietary (brand) names; semaglutide is the non-proprietary name of the active ingredient in each. These are the three UK-licensed semaglutide brands; here is how they differ.
| Brand | Form | MHRA-licensed for | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | Weekly subcutaneous injection (prefilled pen) | Type 2 diabetes | Novo Nordisk |
| Wegovy | Weekly subcutaneous injection (prefilled pen) | Chronic weight management in adults with BMI ≥30, or ≥27 with comorbidities | Novo Nordisk |
| Rybelsus | Daily oral tablet | Type 2 diabetes | Novo Nordisk |
The Ozempic licence covers type 2 diabetes only; the licensed weight-management product is Wegovy. For the full position on each brand, open its page above. For the general explainer on the molecule itself, see What is semaglutide? and the full semaglutide profile.
Which other brands are easy to confuse with these three?
Several other brands are easy to confuse with the three UK-licensed semaglutide brands. Mounjaro (Eli Lilly) contains tirzepatide. Saxenda and Victoza are also made by Novo Nordisk, but contain liraglutide. CagriSema (cagrilintide + semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) is an investigational combination and is not MHRA-licensed — see CagriSema. Browse every brand name on the UK brand-name index.
Are Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus UK prescription medicines?
Yes. Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus are MHRA-licensed UK prescription medicines. This page does not provide dosing schedules, prescribing recommendations, supplier information or clinical triage; where a medicine is UK-licensed, any actual use is via a qualified UK prescriber following appropriate clinical assessment. See GLP-1 prescription-only medicines for what that means.
Where is the trial evidence for semaglutide?
The STEP programme covered weight management, the SUSTAIN programme covered type 2 diabetes, and the SELECT trial covered cardiovascular outcomes in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease, without diabetes. Read the SELECT trial summary or browse the trial index.
FAQs
- What are the brand names of semaglutide?
- The UK-licensed brand names that contain semaglutide are Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus. All three are made by Novo Nordisk and are MHRA-licensed UK prescription medicines. Ozempic and Wegovy are injections; Rybelsus is an oral tablet.
- What drug class is semaglutide?
- Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It is a synthetic, long-acting copy of the natural gut hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), and it activates the GLP-1 receptor only, which makes it a monoagonist.
- Which semaglutide brand is licensed for weight management?
- Wegovy is the semaglutide brand licensed for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with weight-related comorbidities. Ozempic and Rybelsus are MHRA-licensed for type 2 diabetes.
- Is Mounjaro a semaglutide brand?
- No. Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist made by Eli Lilly. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 monoagonist.
- Are Saxenda and Victoza semaglutide brands?
- No. Saxenda and Victoza are Novo Nordisk brands, but both contain liraglutide, not semaglutide.