Yes, both Ozempic and Wygovy are brand names of the same medicine, semaglutide. They are made by the same company Novo Nordisk.  Ozempic is the brand that they originally produced for diabetes. It comes in strengths of 0.25mg. 0.5mg and 1mg. After they found out that it helped with weight loss, Novo Nordisk started to produce a brand targeted for weight loss called wygovy. It comes in the same strengths as Ozempic but also the higher strengths of 1.7mg and 2.4mg.

The STEP 1 study showed that around 2,000 patients treated with semaglutide lost about 15% of their weight over a period of 68 weeks (15.6 months).

Semaglutide works by delaying stomach emptying so that you feel fuller for longer. It promotes weight loss by suppressing your appetite and hunger, and reducing the amount you eat. It also gives you the ability to control your food intake better, and reduces cravings for fatty, energy-dense foods.

Semaglutide is given in a once-weekly injection. Each pen device lasts for 4 weeks.

Semaglutide is currently only available from an NHS GP for diabetes, although other drugs are more likely to be used for this purpose.

For weight loss, you will need to be referred by your GP to a tier 3 or 4 specialist weight management service if you meet the criteria: have at least one weight-related illness and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35kg/m2 or between 30kg/m2 – 34.9kg/m2 who meet the defined criteria.

Semaglutide does come in tablet form by the name of Rybelsus. However, it is licensed for diabetes and not weight loss.

Novo Nordisk has done a study that shows that 50mg tablets give a similar weight loss to the injections. However, the maximum dose of tablets currently available is 14mg. 

The cost of semaglutide varies depending on where you buy it. Currently, it is around £110-120 per injection pen that will last 4 weeks. The higher doses of Wygovy 1.7mg and 2.4mg may be up to 2-3 times that price.

Injections are taken once each week. Each injection pen lasts for 4 weeks.

Semaglutide tablets (Rybelsus) are taken daily. Each packet lasts for 30 days.

In the STEP 1 study, the most common side-effect was nausea. Out of around 2,000 patients, 3 of them were seriously ill with pancreatitis.

In practice, nausea is still common but generally mild and well tolerated. People can also get vomiting, become constipated or have loose stool. Recently, there have been reports of a small number of people in the US having bowel obstruction needing hospital care.

The is currently no evidence that semaglutide use causes any type of cancer, including thyroid cancer.