{"id":11046,"date":"2024-01-17T10:57:52","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T10:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simpleonlinepharmacy.co.uk\/health-advice\/?p=11046"},"modified":"2026-06-11T17:01:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T17:01:32","slug":"mounjaro-vs-tirzepatide-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simpleonlinepharmacy.co.uk\/health-advice\/weight-loss\/mounjaro\/mounjaro-vs-tirzepatide-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Mounjaro Vs Tirzepatide – What’s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated 20\/06\/2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s 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.
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For example, a weight loss medication you might be seeing more of is Wegovy<\/a>, which is simply the branded form of the drug, semaglutide. Similarly, tirzepatide is Mounjaro\u2019s 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\u2019s available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generic Medications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the branded name is still protected, so generic versions are named after the active ingredient in the drug. For example, sildenafil<\/a> 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<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.
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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\u2019t need to invest any money into the research, development, or marketing of the original drug, and so, their savings are passed on to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Mounjaro?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mounjaro was approved for weight loss treatment by the MHRA in November 2023<\/a> and is currently available for weight loss treatment, but only through private prescription.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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Common side effects of Mounjaro include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n