Ozempic has become so embedded in global culture that “Ozempic face” was shortlisted for a prominent dictionary’s word of the year in 2025.
Ozempic isn’t the only drug that mimics the natural GLP-1 hormone, so users feel fuller for longer and eat less. There’s also Zepbound, Mounjaro, Trulicity and Victoza — and many more on the horizon for people with obesity or Type 2 diabetes.
GLP-1 meds stimulate insulin production when blood sugar is high, stop the liver from releasing excess sugar and slow stomach emptying to prevent blood sugar spikes after meals.
With more GLP-1 options than ever before, choosing the right one can be difficult. Some are shots, others are pills, some need to be taken daily, others weekly.
Here’s a look at what’s on the market — and what’s potentially in the pipeline for 2026.
Though other GLP-1s have been around longer, Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic is probably the most widely known.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Ozempic in 2017 for adults with Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy was approved to treat obesity in 2021.
They are both once-weekly injections, but Wegovy uses a higher maintenance dose of semaglutide than Ozempic. In December 2025, the FDA approved a once-daily pill version of Wegovy.
There was already a semaglutide pill on the market. Rybelsus was approved in 2019 for Type 2 diabetes — the daily tablet was the first oral GLP-1.
There isn’t an official FDA-approved generic version of semaglutide.
Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas and stomach pain.
Individuals with a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (a rare neuroendocrine tumor known as MTC) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (a hereditary cancer known as MEN 2) should not take semaglutide due to an increased risk of thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents.
Tirzepatide differs from other GLP-1s in that it mimics the GLP-1 and GIP hormones.
GIP promotes fat storage and can be more effective than GLP-1 in certain ways.
The FDA approved Lilly’s Mounjaro for Type 2 diabetes in 2022 and Zepbound for obesity in 2023. They are once-weekly injections that share identical dosing schedules and strengths.
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There is no FDA-approved generic version of tirzepatide.
Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, indigestion and heartburn/acid reflux.
Avoid use if you have a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2.
The FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s Victoza for Type 2 diabetes in 2010 and Saxenda for obesity in 2014.
Both are daily injections — the main difference is the dosage. Saxenda has a higher maximum dosage of liraglutide than Victoza.
Generic Victoza was approved in 2024 and generic Saxenda the following year.
Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting and indigestion.
Avoid taking liraglutide if you have a personal or family history of MTC or MEN 2, as these drugs carry a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors.
Dulaglutide
Eli Lilly’s Trulicity is the only available version of dulaglutide.
The FDA approved Trulicity in 2014 to treat Type 2 diabetes in conjunction with diet and exercise. The weekly injection is not approved for weight loss.
Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea and stomach pain.
Trulicity also carries a boxed warning that it can potentially cause thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, though it’s unknown if this risk translates to humans. That’s why people who have had MTC or MEN 2 should avoid use.
Exenatide
The FDA OK’d exenatide in 2005, making it the first approved GLP-1 for Type 2 diabetes.
It came in several forms — Byetta’s a twice-daily injection, Bydureon a once-weekly jab, and Bydureon BCise a weekly dose administered with an autoinjector pen.
AstraZeneca discontinued these three formulations in the US in recent years, but generic Byetta was approved by the FDA in late 2024.
Common side effects of the drug include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and indigestion.
People should not take exenatide if they have severe kidney disease, significantly slowed digestion or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Lixisenatide
The FDA approved lixisenatide, marketed as Adlyxin, in 2016 for Type 2 diabetes.
The daily pen injection is often combined with insulin.
Adlyxin was discontinued in the US as of 2023, but lixisenatide can be found in Europe and other markets under the brand name Lyxumia. Lixisenatide is also a key ingredient in the diabetes drug Soliqua, which is available in the US.
Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain, as well as headache and dizziness.
Watch for these drugs in 2026
Lilly’s orforglipron differs from other GLP-1 drugs in that it’s not a peptide that breaks down in stomach acid.
Its small molecule structure allows it to pass through the stomach intact. The once-daily pill is anticipated to garner FDA approval for obesity and launch in the US in mid-to-late 2026.
Lilly’s retatrutide has earned the nicknames “GLP-3” and “triple G” because it mimics GLP-1, GIP and glucagon, which stimulate the liver to produce and release glucose.
It’s injected once weekly and is expected to be submitted to the FDA for approval in 2026.
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