There’s a growing list of treatments for weight loss and, for the uninitiated, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them. This is made more complicated because there are often two names for the same medication: a branded name, and a generic name. The branded name of a medication is created by the company that made it. The generic name, on the other hand, is the name of the active ingredient.
For example, a weight loss medication you might be seeing more of is Wegovy, which is simply the branded form of the drug, semaglutide. Similarly, tirzepatide is Mounjaro’s generic name, after the active ingredient. At the end of the day, they both work the same way and serve the same purpose. The only key difference we can speculate on is that tirzepatide, like most generic medications, will be cheaper once it’s available.
Generic Medications
The branded name of a medication is created by the pharmaceutical company that originally developed it. If the company takes out a patent on the medication, it is protected for several years. Once the patent expires, other companies are free to manufacture and sell their own generic versions.
However, the branded name is still protected, so generic versions are named after the active ingredient in the drug. For example, sildenafil is the generic name of a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction. But the company that produces it, Pfizer, sells it under the brand name, Viagra.
Generic medications contain the same active ingredients as their branded counterparts and have the same effect. They may look different and vary in what non-active ingredients they contain but, ultimately, they do the same job and are often the cheaper option.
The difference in price may come across as the generic being an inferior product, but this is not the case. A company that produces generic versions of branded medications didn’t need to invest any money into the research, development, or marketing of the original drug, and so, their savings are passed on to you.
To avoid releasing generic medications, some companies have opted to release variants of their existing branded medications. Making slight changes to the composition or administration method allows companies to maintain existing patents or set up new ones. The manufacturers of Viagra and Cialis have recently released over the counter versions of the medications. This allows them to target a new group of consumers and patent the new medications.
Another example of this strategy is evident in the extensive range of Nurofen products. While the range covers an array of symptoms, they all contain ibuprofen, the generic version of the brand.
What is Mounjaro?
Mounjaro contains the active ingredient tirzepatide and was developed by Eli Lilly and Co. to treat adults with type 2 diabetes. It is both a glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and GLP-1 receptor agonist. Both the GLP-1 and GIP hormones trigger your body to produce insulin, prompting sensations of being full and a decreased appetite. The upshot of this is that you will likely eat less and lose weight.
Current GLP-1 weight loss medications, like Wegovy, do not contain the GIP hormone, so Mounjaro (tirzepatide) may provide increased effectiveness in helping you lose weight when combined with diet and exercise. Both Wegovy and Mounjaro were originally developed as diabetes treatments, but showed enough promise to be registered for weight loss.
Mounjaro was approved for weight loss treatment by the MHRA in November 2023 and is currently available for weight loss treatment, but only through private prescription.
Common side effects of Mounjaro include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Indigestion
- Stomach pain
When Will Generic Mounjaro be Available?
It could be quite some time before we see any generic alternatives for Mounjaro on the market. The medication is still protected under patents by its manufacturer, Eli Lilly and Co.
As well as this, with regards to generic tirzepatide, UK standards generally give new medications a “grace period” before they can be produced. This means it could be years before other companies are able to produce their own generic versions of Mounjaro.
Mounjaro will be eligible for patent challenges in May 2026, so we don’t expect any generic alternatives to arrive on the scene until after then.
Alternatives
Wegovy
There are a few weight loss treatments available that, like Mounjaro, belong to the GLP-1 agonist family. These are Wegovy, Ozempic, and Saxenda all of which were developed by Novo Nordisk. Out of the three, study after study has shown that Wegovy is the most effective in helping people lose weight.
Ozempic is currently only licensed to treat type 2 diabetes and Saxenda has been discontinued in favour of Wegovy. So, as it stands, Wegovy is the only available option in the GLP-1 family, but it is the most effective in treating weight loss.
No generic alternatives to Wegovy exist at the moment and it will be several years before manufacturers have the necessary permissions to do so.
Orlistat
An available alternative weight loss drug is Orlistat. Orlistat is also sold under the brand names Xenical and Alli.
Orlistat works differently to Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and other GLP-1 medications as instead of making you feel full, it stops your body from absorbing some of the fat in the food you eat.
The only difference between generic orlistat and Xenical is that Xenical costs more. You’re paying for the premium brand name.
Alli differs as it does not require a prescription to purchase because it contains half the dosage of orlistat or Xenical. However, like Xenical, it costs more than generic orlistat. The lower dose does mean you may not see the same results as when taking a full dose though.
Conclusion
Medications will often come in two variations, branded and generic. Both contain the same active ingredient and work the same way to treat the same thing. Mounjaro and tirzepatide are examples of this.
While Mounjaro is now available for prescription in weight loss treatment, because of the nature of how medications are produced and sold, it will be quite some time before a generic is released.
However, there are also some alternatives you might consider. Both orlistat, its branded variants, and Wegovy are available for weight loss treatment now. If you are interested in any of these or Mounjaro you can find out more below.
