Built from FDA prescribing information
GLP-1 comparison chart
Every branded GLP-1 side by side — ingredient, schedule, dose range, half-life and missed-dose window. The same pharmacology data the GLPMate app uses to model your levels.
Branded GLP-1 medications differ in three ways that matter day to day: the active ingredient (semaglutide, tirzepatide, dulaglutide, liraglutide or orforglipron), how often you take it (a weekly injection, a daily injection for liraglutide, or a daily tablet for Rybelsus and Foundayo), and how long it stays in you — from about 13 hours for liraglutide to about 7 days for semaglutide. Ozempic and Wegovy are the same molecule at different labeled doses, as are Mounjaro and Zepbound, and Saxenda and Victoza. Which one is right for you is a prescribing decision, not a comparison-table decision.
| Medication | Active ingredient | Maker | Schedule | Labeled titration | Half-life | Time to peak | Steady state | Missed-dose window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | semaglutide | Novo Nordisk | Once weekly | 0.25 mg → 2 mg | ≈ 1 week (about 7 days) | 1–3 days after injection | 4–5 weeks | Within 5 days |
| Wegovy | semaglutide | Novo Nordisk | Once weekly | 0.25 mg → 2.4 mg | ≈ 1 week (about 7 days) | 1–3 days after injection | 4–5 weeks | Only if next dose is >2 days away |
| Mounjaro | tirzepatide | Eli Lilly | Once weekly | 2.5 mg → 10 mg | ≈ 5 days (about 120 hours) | 8–72 hours after injection | ≈ 4 weeks | Within 4 days (96 h) |
| Zepbound | tirzepatide | Eli Lilly | Once weekly | 2.5 mg → 10 mg | ≈ 5 days (about 120 hours) | 8–72 hours after injection | ≈ 4 weeks | Within 4 days (96 h) |
| Rybelsus | oral semaglutide | Novo Nordisk | Once daily | 3 mg → 14 mg | ≈ 1 week (about 7 days) | ≈ 1 hour after the tablet | 4–5 weeks | Skip that day — never double up |
| Foundayo | orforglipron | Eli Lilly | Once daily | 0.8 mg → 9 mg | ≈ 29–49 hours (about 1.5–2 days) | 4–8 hours after the tablet | ≈ 1 week | As soon as possible — never double up |
| Trulicity | dulaglutide | Eli Lilly | Once weekly | 0.75 mg → 4.5 mg | ≈ 5 days (about 120 hours) | 24–72 hours after injection (median 48 hours) | 2–4 weeks | Only if next dose is ≥3 days away |
| Saxenda | liraglutide | Novo Nordisk | Once daily | 0.6 mg → 3 mg | ≈ 13 hours | ≈ 11 hours after injection | ≈ 3 days | Skip it · 3+ days missed: restart at 0.6 mg |
| Victoza | liraglutide | Novo Nordisk | Once daily | 0.6 mg → 1.8 mg | ≈ 13 hours | 8–12 hours after injection | ≈ 3 days | Skip it · 3+ days missed: restart at 0.6 mg |
The titration column is the FDA-labeled starting ladder — the first few steps, not the highest dose available. Maintenance doses can go higher than the last step shown (tirzepatide, for example, is labeled up to 15 mg); the per-medication pages have the full schedule. Your prescriber may use a different schedule for your situation — this chart describes the label, not your plan.
Same molecule, different label
The most common source of confusion in this category is that six of these products are really three molecules. Ozempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide from Novo Nordisk (Rybelsus is semaglutide too, as a tablet); Mounjaro and Zepbound are both tirzepatide from Eli Lilly; Saxenda and Victoza are both liraglutide from Novo Nordisk. Within each pair the pharmacology is identical — the same half-life, the same time to peak, the same time to steady state. What differs is the labeled indication (type 2 diabetes vs weight management) and the maximum labeled dose.
That matters practically: if you switch between two products with the same active ingredient, your estimated medication level does not reset. It carries over, because it is the same molecule clearing at the same rate. Plot it on your own schedule to see what that looks like.
Weekly injection vs daily dosing
Rybelsus and Foundayo are the tablets: oral semaglutide and orforglipron, both taken daily. A daily tablet produces a much flatter curve than a weekly injection, because you are topping up every day instead of once a week. Saxenda and Victoza are daily injections of liraglutide, whose ~13-hour half-life makes levels rise and fall within each day. If you are comparing a weekly pen against a daily medication, you are comparing two different level patterns, not just two products.
Compounded products are not on this chart
Compounded GLP-1 products are prepared by compounding pharmacies and are not FDA-approved. They are deliberately excluded from the table above because the fields that make the table useful — labeled dose ladder, labeled missed-dose window, standardized concentration — do not exist in a standardized form for them. The concentration in your vial is specific to that vial and must be read off its own label. If you are converting a compounded dose, use the mg → units calculator with your vial's own concentration.
What this chart cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which medication you should be on, how much weight you will lose, or whether to switch. Those depend on your history, your other conditions, your insurance and your prescriber's judgement. GLPMate does not give dosing or medical advice and is not a medical device. What a chart like this is good for is understanding the vocabulary before your next appointment — and knowing which questions are worth asking.
Go deeper on one medication
This page is general education, not medical advice, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for your prescriber or pharmacist. Never start, stop, switch or change the dose of a medication based on a comparison chart.
Sources
- FDA Prescribing Information (label) for each product — dose ladder, missed-dose window, clinical pharmacology (half-life, time to peak, steady state)
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Questions, answered
What is the difference between Ozempic and Wegovy?
Both are semaglutide made by Novo Nordisk, so the molecule and the ~7-day half-life are identical. They differ in labeled indication and maximum dose: Ozempic is labeled for type 2 diabetes and goes up to 2 mg weekly, while Wegovy is labeled for weight management and goes up to 2.4 mg weekly. They are not interchangeable on your own — the prescription determines which one you have.
What is the difference between Mounjaro and Zepbound?
Both are tirzepatide made by Eli Lilly, with the same ~5-day half-life and the same 2.5 mg starting dose and 15 mg maximum. Mounjaro is labeled for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight management. As with Ozempic and Wegovy, the difference is the label, not the molecule.
Which GLP-1 stays in your system the longest?
Semaglutide, with a half-life of about 7 days. That means roughly 35 days to clear about 97% of a dose. Tirzepatide and dulaglutide have ~5-day half-lives and clear in roughly 25 days; orforglipron (29–49 hours) clears in roughly 6–10 days and liraglutide (about 13 hours) in about 3. A longer half-life means steadier levels between doses and a slower wash-out — it does not mean the medication is stronger.
Which GLP-1 is a pill instead of an injection?
Two in this chart: Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) and Foundayo (orforglipron), both daily tablets. Their instructions differ — Rybelsus is taken on an empty stomach with a small sip of water and a 30-minute wait before eating, while Foundayo can be taken with or without food. Saxenda and Victoza are daily injections; every other medication in this chart is a once-weekly injection.
How long does it take a GLP-1 to reach steady state?
For the weekly injectables it is typically 2–5 weeks at a constant dose (the table shows each one); daily medications with shorter half-lives get there sooner — about a week for Foundayo and a few days for liraglutide. Steady state is the point where the amount you take equals the amount your body clears, so levels stop climbing. Every time you step up a dose the clock restarts and levels climb to a new plateau.
Is compounded semaglutide the same as Ozempic or Wegovy?
No. Compounded products are not FDA-approved and are not required to match a branded product’s concentration, purity or labeling. The pharmacology of the active ingredient may be similar, but the concentration in your vial is specific to that vial — which is why the dose you draw must come from your own vial’s label and your prescriber, never from a generic chart.
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